All That's Left
by IDKHowToWritePlzHelp
Summary: Their loved ones taken from them; they were the only ones left to seek justice. The longer they struggled, the more marred the line between justice and revenge became. Things aren't as black and white as they once thought.
1. Prologue

**AN:  
Hello, one and all, to my second story on here. I felt the first, "The Spartan" was a rousing success both in reaction from the community and from my own personal rating of it. I had a lot of fun writing it, so here I am, back with a new story! This time around, its all me. No canon to lean on. Just a few of our favorite characters plopped into a new world and story of my own design. Fair warning, I'm not sure if I'll have quite as speedy of an upload schedule as last time - the second semester of engineering is a doozy - but I promise this will be far from one of those stories that gets an update a month. Now, I want to give you the tiniest amount of background information, purely for your sake, but not too much. It will start off with Hazel POV, but that's purely because I don't want to expose any of the plot at the beginning and Percy has some prior knowledge. Altough I also don't think there's anything wrong with having other main characters just brw. So, this story takes place in what you could call a futuristic world. I'm not putting a specific year on it, so it is up to your discretion to decide exactly how long from our time it takes place. The reason I'm doing this is so that I can fiddle with technology and whatnot without having to worry about what scientific advancements would be reasonable in the timeframe I set. Hopefully that sounds interesting to you, because I'm really excited about this. I hope I can live up to the expectations I set for myself with "The Spartan" Anyways, here's your first look at "All That's Left"**

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**XxXxX**

The rainy night did nothing to help lighten her mood. If anything, the somber aura that permeated the air as the biting cold liquid pounded down only served to embolden her tears. Perhaps some would find the rain comforting, like the world was crying with you, but for Hazel, the drab atmosphere of the night was nothing but a reminder of what she'd lost.

With each footfall, her eyes grew heavier, seeming to be in a race with her burdened heart to see which would cause her to falter first. Each step drew her closer to home, but she wasn't sure how welcoming it would be anymore. Lost in her own despondent thoughts, her distracted mind failed to notice the massive puddle draped across the asphalt in front of her.

One misplaced step was all it took. Her small foot plopped unceremoniously into the cool liquid, drenching it instantly. She withdrew her foot in haste, leaving behind the after affect she'd had on the small body of water. All across its surface, ripples formed, slowly spreading in expanding rings. For some reason, the gentle lolling of the waters surface drew her full attention.

Her soaked foot forgotten; Hazel peered into the puddle's depths. Her umbrella protected her and the puddle from the driving rain, allowing the small pool to slowly calm again. As the water stilled, it slowly changed into a reflective pool. A natural mirror of sorts. She stared into it, drinking in the image that looked back at her.

Her mascara was runny, and there were clear lines on her warm chocolate skin where her tears had fallen. Her golden eyes looked wet and dispirited, as if they were a looking glass into her sorrow filled soul. Her cinnamon hair, cascading in gentle curls down to her shoulders, was frizzy from the humidity, mimicking her frayed nerves. Truthfully, she looked like a mess, but she just didn't care considering the circumstances of her mood.

Behind her own image, she could make out the neon city lights. The skyscrapers stretching overhead like desperate hands reaching to feed hungry mouths. The bridges of glass connecting the buildings glittered even in the reflection, almost teasing her. The cars that floated overhead were even more taunting. The city above seemed to laugh at her, mocking the wonder she'd once held for the place she called home. She couldn't bear to look at it any longer, so she resumed her walk; she was nearing home anyways, and it wouldn't do to stand around all alone in her part of the city.

She remembered when her and her mother had first moved to Sapphire City. It was a young city then, it still was, but it had held promise. Everyone far and wide would tell you how Sapphire City was the jewel of the world. How it was the city of the future. How it was the pinnacle of human advancement and new age technology. Technically, they were right, it was all those things to some, just not for her and her mother, or for people like them.

For the rich, the extravagance of the upper city never ended. They lived perfect lives, completely removed from the common man below them. With their flying cars, coupled with the glass bridges and spiraling walkways that threaded between the upper levels of the tallest buildings, many rarely even touched the ground. They stayed far away from the earth, seemingly uninterested in where the less fortunate people went about their daily lives.

For people like Hazel and her mother, the upper city was nothing but a dream. It was a glimpse of what they'd come to Sapphire City looking to find. What they'd discovered though was a far cry from the visage the rumors had painted across their brains. The reality of their situation was much less picturesque then what the stories led them to believe. Unlike the rich, Hazel and her mother lived in the lower city, along with all the other dreamers. All the other people who'd had the same vision of hope they once had.

The city was clearly divided; upper and lower, rich and poor. The upper city provided an avenue for the rich to literally look down upon the less fortunate, and the lower city dwellers were forced to see the people who had it better than them every time they looked up, a bitter reminder that what they'd always hoped for was still out of reach.

She wasn't sure it was intentional that the city had formed that way. Regardless of intention, one thing was glaringly obvious to anyone who lived where she did. The city was nothing compared to the beacon of prosperity it had promised to be. If anything, Sapphire City was a brutal demonstration of the one thing that truly divided people in full effect. It didn't matter who you were in Sapphire City, all that mattered was what you were worth.

That was the exact problem she was dealing with now. She was worth next to nothing. Not even the police force would help her. They'd been almost dismissive of her case. Her mother had gone missing, and yet, when she'd pleaded with them for assistance, they'd offered next to nothing in assistance. They gave a few empty promises that they'd search for Maria Levesque, but Hazel knew the truth. There were too many people in the city, and not enough police to help them all, so unless you were worth your weight in precious gemstones, your case was stuffed in some filing cabinet somewhere, never to be dealt with.

Hazel wondered what she could even do now. She was only eighteen, and now she was completely alone. Without her mother, she was left with nothing. She had no siblings, and she'd never met her father. She was all that was left. She wasn't sure if she was ready for that. If she could handle that.

She couldn't face these depressing thoughts any longer. Lowering her eyes, she watched her feet pat across the ground as she walked. She counted her steps, listened to the rain, controlled her breathing as she walked, doing anything to take her mind off the runaway train of painful thoughts swirling through her brain. It was an old trick her mother had taught her, to let the most monotonous of things lull her into numbness, and one she was taking full advantage of over the past few days.

The trance like state she put herself into allowed the rest of her walk to go by in record time. Before she knew it, she was outside her and her mother's door. Or just hers now, she mused bitterly. It was a ground floor unit, one of the cheapest in the building, even more of a blessing now that she'd have to pay for it all by herself.

When her hand touched the door handle, a strong sense of relief washed over her. All she wanted to do was go to bed. She was exhausted and distraught, and nothing sounded nicer than to sleep her sorrows away. She pushed the door open, eager to finally put her long day behind her. Unfortunately, it seemed fate had other plans for her. Her much needed slumber would have to wait.

When she opened the door, she could instantly tell something was off. There was just this feeling in the air that something was amiss. It was almost like the air was supercharged. As if a thundercloud from the storm outside had clung to her like a baby and tumbled in with her. An uneasy knot formed in the pit of her stomach.

Her eyes traced across the living room, scanning over each and every piece of old and run-down furniture. Nothing seemed to be wrong there, so she expanded her search. It was probably nothing, but she just couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to change. Her gut was right. She spotted something in the doorway to her small kitchen, a clear sign that something, or someone, was in her apartment with her.

On the tile floor, she could see small drops of red. It looked like blood. She felt fear start to creep into her chest like a sinister black plague, but she choked it down. Sure, walking towards the intruder probably wasn't the best idea, but it's not like the police would help her, and leaving her apartment at night wouldn't work; her neighborhood was too dangerous for that. Rounding the corner, she whipped her eyes around the kitchen, her gaze stopping on the unfamiliar feature in the room. When her eyes registered what she saw, she froze.

There was a man in her apartment, slumped precariously in one of the chairs around her kitchen table. His head was lowered, a black mop of hair staring back at her in place of his face. The man was clutching his stomach, like he was a child with a belly ache, but she could see it was much more than that. Crimson liquid leaked through his fingers, spilling onto the floor beneath him. She was still too startled to move, staring down the man who was too focused on keeping his guts in to notice her. Finally, she worked up the courage to find her voice, and she spoke.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my apartment?" she asked, trying to sound intimidating, despite her shaky voice being an octave higher than usual.

The man jumped a little at her words, startled by her appearance. He looked up to meet her eyes, and her mouth dropped open. A black mask, made of some rigid material she couldn't identify, covered his face up to his nose, masking his features. All that she could make out was a pair of startling green eyes, vibrant like nothing she'd ever seen before. The sight of his unnatural eyes caught her entirely off guard.

"What am I doing?" he asked incredulously, eyebrows raised. "Isn't it obvious? I'm bleeding out all over your kitchen floor."

His voice was weak. He'd lost a lot of blood, if his pale skin was anything to go by. She wasn't a doctor, but she doubted he'd make it.

"Hold on, I'll call 911." She said, reaching for her phone, though she knew the chance of them even coming was low.

Maybe it wasn't the smartest to try and help a guy who had broken into your house, but she didn't want to watch a man die, and she doubted he could do anything to her with how much blood he had lost anyways.

"No. Don't." he breathed out, halting her actions. "Just grab that for me." He said, nodding towards the floor behind her.

Turning around, she saw a small syringe on the ground, a bloody palm print covering the writing on the side. He must've dropped it, she realized, and been too weak to retrieve it, whatever _it_ was. Hastily, she picked up the bloody needle, giving it to him before backing away as fast as she could. She wanted to help him, but she still didn't trust him enough to stay within arm's reach of the man.

He dipped his head towards her in appreciation before removing his other hand from the wound. Blood began to pour even faster now that the pressure was gone. Whatever he was doing, he'd better do it fast, because he was about two pints of blood away from completely redecorating her kitchen.

As she watched on, the man wasted no time in rolling up his sleeve with one arm, using the other to inject whatever was in the syringe into his veins. As soon as the liquid hit his bloodstream, a sigh of relief escaped his lips, and the pain in his eyes started to fade. His skin quickly regained its color, and his bleeding slowed, before halting altogether. Within seconds, it was as if he'd never been hurt at all. Her mouth fell open in recognition.

"Is that… Was that _nectar_?" she asked slowly, not believing her eyes.

"Sure was. Just don't tell anyone I had it." He said cheekily, putting a single finger up to where his lips would be.

"That's a military grade healing injection! The upper city doctors can barely get their hands on it." She cried in shock.

"I know." He said with a wink. "That's why you can't tell anyone I have it."

"I don't even know who I'm _supposed _to tell." She admitted. "But I'll figure it out if you don't give me some answers."

She felt somewhat safe with the man now, considering he'd shown no sign of aggression thus far. Plus, even if she couldn't read his other features through the mask, his eyes looked kind, so she doubted he'd hurt her. If that wasn't enough, she could also dangle the fact that he owed her his life now over his head.

"What answers I give you depends entirely on the questions you're asking." He said mysteriously, seeming unbothered by her curiosity.

"Well, for starters, who are you, what are you doing in my kitchen, and why were you bleeding all over the place?"

The man eyed her for a moment before he rose from his chair. She took a hesitant step back when he moved. He was much more intimidating when he wasn't hunched over in pain. He was tall, easily clearing six feet, which towered over her small frame, and had a lithe muscular build that was much more noticeable when he stood He started to walk towards her, and she made to retreat, but was stopped by his outreaching hand, hanging in the air in a gesture of friendship. Despite the blood covering his palm, she shook his hand, just to be polite, ignoring the sensation of his lifeblood rubbing into her skin.

"I'm Percy. Percy Jackson. I was in your kitchen because I was bleeding and needed somewhere private to inject the nectar. Thanks for that by the way."

"It was nothing." She said softly, her foot toeing the floor beneath her. She wasn't the best with compliments. Or appreciation. Or any positive emotions that didn't come from her mother for that matter.

"As for the bleeding thing, well. I may or may not have gotten shot once or twice or five times. Maybe."

She recoiled in shock. Her blood ran cold like ice. He'd gotten _shot_? Just who was this guy? He had a military healing substance and he had described being _shot_ like it was a common occurrence. In her surprise, she did what she always did when she got nervous. She started to ramble.

"You got shot? Are you some sort of thug or something? Did your gang take my mom? Are you a soldier? Do _you_ have a gun? Are you going to kill me? Are you e-"

He held up a hand to stop her, cutting her off. His eyes looked serious now. All the light heartedness and mirth that had resided in the swirling pools of green had dispersed, being replaced with an intimidating seriousness that didn't seem to fit the man.

"Did you say your mom was taken?" he asked slowly, his voice guarded.

"Yeah, she went missing a few days ago." Hazel admitted. She wasn't sure what was driving her to give this knowledge away, but it was too late to stop now.

"So is she missing or was she taken?" he implored, almost desperate.

"Does it matter? It's the same thing isn't it?"

"No, it's not the same thing!" he cried, throwing his hands up into the air. "If she's missing, she could just as easily be on some drugged up alcoholic bender, curled up in an alley sleeping it off somewhere. She could have run off with some man. She could be-"

"My mom isn't like that!" Hazel protested. "She's a little eccentric, but she's not like that. She was taken, I know it. That or she's… She's…" The tears were starting to come back now.

"Enough of that then," he said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You said she disappeared a few days ago?" Hazel nodded. "Then she's not dead. She'd have been found already if that were the case. If what you say is true, she was kidnapped, though I'm not sure if that's any better to be candid with you."

"How is it not better? If she's kidnapped, she's alive!"

"Yes, but if she's with who I think she is, that might not be such a good thing. Sometimes dead is better." His words seemed like he believed them. He sounded truly sorry for her.

"What do you mean? What are you talking about?" she choked out with teary eyes, her mind now running through all the things _worse_ than death. It was a short list, but not a very pleasant one to picture to say the least.

Percy paused for a moment, seeming to debate something in his mind. Without speaking, he dug a hand into one of his pockets, coming out with a fancy looking pen. He looked around her kitchen for a small time, finding a stray piece of paper on one of the counter tops. Ripping a piece off, he scrawled something on it, before handing it to her. It was an address written in golden ink.

"What is this?" she asked, waving the paper weakly.

"An opportunity, so to speak. I don't have time to explain right now. I'm on a very tight schedule, and I already got delayed by the whole being shot thing." He explained quickly.

"What kind of opportunity?" she whispered.

"One you shouldn't pass up. You see, you have two options miss…" he trailed off, realizing she'd never given her name in exchange for his.

"Levesque. Hazel Levesque." She supplied.

"Well Hazel, you have two options now, two paths. Option one, you forget I ever existed, and you sit around here waiting for your mom to come home. You live a normal life, but you'll probably never see her again. Option two, you meet me at that address at five o'clock P.M. tomorrow, and I try to help you get your mom back. I can't promise you we find her, or that your life will ever go back to normal after you walk in those doors, but I can promise you one thing. It'll be a hell of a lot better than sitting around and praying."

She opened her mouth up to respond, but he stopped her. He leaned down, his tall frame having to bend low to put him at eye level. His sea green eyes bore into her golden ones, and she saw a message in them she couldn't quite decipher.

"Don't answer now." He said softly. "Sleep on it. I'm sure you'll make the right decision."

And then he was leaving, his footsteps like a ghost as he walked away. She didn't even hear the door close behind him. He was like a wraith. A fleeting shadow. Gone as quick as he came. The only evidence that Percy had ever been there was the puddle of blood on the floor, and the address written in golden ink.

Despite the exhaustion that she felt, it took her much too long to fall asleep. As she tossed and turned in her empty house, her mind danced with the possibilities of what tomorrow held. Of exactly how and why this stranger had seemed so eager to help her at the drop of a hat. When rest finally came, there was only one thing on her mind. She wasn't alone anymore.

**XxXxX**

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**AN:**

**So, that's the prologue. I really wanted to paint a picture with this. I wanted to start laying the groundwork of the world this is set in and establish a hint of the plot without giving anything away. I also wanted to paint my take on the personalities of Percy and Hazel, our two main characters, for this one (Not a pairing, I'm intending for this to be a Brother/Sister thing and avoiding romance for the most part. Don't worry though, my **_**third**_** story is probably going to be **_**centered**_** around romance) Anyways, for personalities if it isn't obvious, Hazel is still Hazel, but leans a bit into her shy/nervous nature, although not so prude/innocent (She's 18 instead of 13/14ish, for starters) and is a bit more of a Mama's girl than in the books. Percy is still Percy, but I'm going to be going a little bit different with him than my last story. You'll just have to wait and see for him. Anyways, thanks for reading, whether you enjoyed or not. I really hope you guys did enjoy though. Be sure to leave a review and let me know what you think, because this story is **_**SUPER**_** adjustable to feedback considering there's no predestined plan for where it needs to go. So, until next time, Peace.**

**EDIT: For the person saying "yOu ReViEw YoUr OwN fIcS." nah bro, I thought it was pretty clearly a joke. It was posted instantly after the first chapter, with my account name, and said nothing actually constructive about the writing. I was under the impression it would be funny for others to read that lmao**


	2. Chapter 1

**AN:**

**We're back! So, yesterday, in classes and homework combined, I did approximately thirteen hours of school. Engineering is a bitch lol. Anyways, due to the absolute brain numbing chore yesterday was, I set aside ample time today to work on this story. I feel especially after a day like that, exercising a creative portion of my brain is essential. I just needed to do something I enjoyed. Basically, you have my suffering from yesterday to thank for this chapter today! I really worked so hard on this one. I'm trying to increase the writing quality in this story, and I think I did it here. I think there's a lot more variety in the prose this time around. Hopefully you agree. As for the content, well, expect more Percy, and some actual information on what's going on in Sapphire City. Everything else, you have got to read to find out. So, here it is, Chapter 1 of "All That's Left"**

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**XxXxX**

Hazel paced uncertainly outside the diner, nervousness doing a tap dance across her heart. She was pretty sure if someone looked close enough, they'd be able to see the path she was tracing worn into the cement underfoot, but she couldn't help it. Her anxiousness was off the charts, and the only thing that was running faster than her pacing legs was her worried mind.

All she'd been able to think about since Percy had walked out of her apartment door was what would happen next. What would tomorrow hold. But now, tomorrow was here, and she couldn't bring herself to open that door. Perhaps it was the expected trepidation that one would expect to come with meeting up with someone who'd broken into your apartment, but she thought it was something else. She was fairly certain the thing holding her back was a different kind of fear. Fear that Percy would have answers, and they'd be answers she wouldn't like.

Letting out a shuddering breath, she gathered herself. She took one last look at the sign above, the neon glow bathing her face. The diner's name '_Demeter's' _glistened peacefully in the dim hue of sunset, a stark contrast to the turmoil she was feeling inside. This place seemed too homely and kind, too serenely nestled in the outskirts of the city, to be a meet-up for a guy who had been bleeding out from gunshot wounds in her kitchen just yesterday.

She almost didn't go in. It would've been so easy. Too easy even, to turn and never look back. To forget she'd ever met him, and to go on with her life. It would be horrible, living without her mother, but the clarity of the night had shown her one thing. She knew she could manage alone; that wasn't the issue. The crux of the problem was, she loved her mom far too much to just abandon her, leaving everything riding on the hope that she'd show up at her doorstep like nothing happened one day.

That's what kept her from leaving. She wasn't sure if she could ever save her mother. If she could ever bring her home. But not knowing would kill her. She couldn't live with herself if she went on with her life not knowing if she could've been the difference between her mom's salvation and her damnation. Using those morbid thoughts as motivation, Hazel steeled her nerves, pushing into the diner.

It was a quaint little place. The walls were decorated with various posters, pictures, and curious mementos. There was even a surfboard hanging above the bar, something she found quite humorous considering Sapphire City was completely landlocked.

Outside, the small lot had been completely filled, not a space to be seen. The atmosphere reflected that. The diner bustled with life, each full table contributing a small lull to the sea of conversation that swept over the diner. A blend of delicious smells wafted from the kitchen, tickling her nostrils and inciting a deep grumble from her stomach. All in all, it was a homely little place, and one she wished she didn't have to discover on the coattails of her mother's tragic disappearance.

Weaving between the diners were various members of the waitstaff, each of them wearing the same uniform, an orange t-shirt with a pine tree on it, the words _'Demeter's' _spelled out by the pine's roots. As they carried dishes and drinks back and forth like a well-oiled machine, Hazel couldn't help but feel they resembled an army of ants carrying leaves back to the colony.

She saw a sign in front of her, urging guests to seat themselves, but that wasn't of much help to her. She was meeting Percy here, and she couldn't seem to find him amidst the crowd. Scanning over the room one more time, she saw what she had missed when she'd first given the entire dining area a once-over. Huddled into the far corner of the diner, sitting at the most inconspicuous place in the diner, she saw a pair of recognizable sea-green eyes, shining like a beacon for anyone who bothered to look close enough. She headed knowingly in their direction; she'd only ever met one person with eyes like those.

The first thing she noticed? He wasn't wearing the mask. She could see every inch of his admittedly gorgeous face. It wasn't that she was particularly interested in the man who'd bled all over her kitchen floor and supposedly had insider knowledge on her mom's kidnapping; it was more the fact that you would have to be blind not to see it.

His tan complexion was much easier to make out now that his blood was back in his body and off her floor and served to accentuate the inky darkness of his messy hair. His eyes were the same mysteriously swirling depths they'd been before, but now there was a face to match them. A chiseled jaw leading up to high cheekbones, a perfectly straight nose, and ridiculously long and slender eyelashes. The only thing that didn't match the standard of male beauty society had set was his smile. It was beautiful and sparkling white, sure, but it wasn't the smoldering look that Hollywood wanted. It was mischievous and teasing, giving him the appearance of a sixteen-year-old rebel being shoved into the body of a twenty-year-old Adonis.

"Are you going to stare, or are you going to sit?" he asked, his voice tinged with amusement.

She felt her cheeks flush as she sat. Looking across the table at him, a small shiver tingled her spine. All her hairs stood on end. There was something about the air around him. It almost seemed to be vibrating with chaotic energy. She had a feeling that danger clung to him like cigarette smoke.

"You said you'd help me find my mom." She said, cutting right to the chase. She had a feeling Percy would appreciate the bold approach.

Percy raised a pleased eyebrow, and she felt her heart do a little kickflip in celebration. She wasn't the best with people and speaking with someone like Percy could be like trudging through a minefield, so each little victory had to be treasured.

"That's right." He said, leaning forward in his chair. "And I will. But first, I need to know how _badly_ you want to find her. What you're willing to do."

She could see it was obviously a challenge, but he wasn't pretending it was anything else either to be fair. She considered his question. What would she do to bring her mother home? She thought about how her entire life, her mom had been her only true friend. She remembered each late night, laughing away as they watched terrible rom coms. About each dinner they'd shared. Each moment spent together. Without her mother, she was alone. Hazel had her answer. Green eyes met gold. His eyes bellowed a challenge, hers shouted determination.

"I'll do anything." Her voice was confident, echoing the truth she felt in her soul. She _would_ do anything. She had no choice. If she didn't, she was alone.

"Good, you're determined." He clapped his hands together to emphasize his point. "You're going to need to be, if we're going to get your mother back."

"Right, about that. You said you know who has her?" Hazel pushed, urging him to let her in on his little secret.

He reached into his jacket, digging around the inside looking for something. Withdrawing his hand from the garment, he pulled a picture out with it. It was a printout of a security camera's recording, the time stamp about a year old. The image was grainy and a bit blurry, but the visage was clear. An intimidating looking man with long black hair was holding gun, firing it into the air. The most jarring thing about him though, was the eyepatch that covered his left eye-socket.

"This is who has her?"

"This is who's _in charge_ of who has her." He said, tapping the picture emphatically. "At least as far as we know. His names Ethan Nakumara, but he goes by the street name Nemesis. Runs a gang here in the undercity, they call themselves the Titans, and we're pretty sure they have your mom."

"We?" she questioned; eyebrows raised in surprise.

"You didn't think I was the only one on this, did you?" he mocked, although his tone was light. He kicked back in his chair as he spoke, propping his feet up on the table.

She opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by a new arrival to the table. A server was standing over them, her orange shirt sticking out like a sore thumb over the backdrop of the rest of the diner. Hazel looked her up and down, noticing her painfully sincere smile and her kind, but noticeably tired eyes.

"Percy, what have I told you about putting your feet on my tables?" the girl scolded half-heartedly, pushing his boots back to the ground.

"The same thing Jason told me about picking up strays." He retorted. Hazel didn't miss the way their eyes flicked momentarily to her.

"I can see you have a hard time listening to both of us." The server shot back, before turning to Hazel, her huge grin back on her face. "Sorry about Percy, he's a little… Rough around the edges. My name is Katie, can I get you anything? Something besides someone new to sit with?" she teased, winking at Percy.

"Oh uhm… I'll have a... A water would be nice, thank you." Hazel mumbled, her anxiety creeping from whatever hole it had been hiding in up to this point. She had a thing about talking to servers. She always got extra nervous she'd fumble over her words when the pressure was on to know her order, and it usually ended up a self fulfilling prophecy.

"Sure thing!" she said, politely ignoring Hazel's awkwardness. "And you Percy?" Katie beamed at her before turning back across the table.

"The usual." He chirped.

"Coming right up." Katie said with a chuckle.

The girl turned away, walking off with a hum. Her hair flapped behind her like a butterfly's wings, alluding fairly well to the girl's personality. When she disappeared from view, Hazel turned her attention back to the man sitting opposite her.

"She seems… Bubbly." Hazel commented.

"Who, Katie? Yeah, that's about right."

"Is she a part of this 'we' you mentioned?" Hazel asked, using air quotes around the 'we'.

"She is." Percy nodded. "So is Jason. In fact, he's in charge of us, whatever you want to call us."

"You don't seem like someone who enjoys having someone in charge of him." She said drily. He laughed at her words.

"You're not wrong." He admitted. "But Jason's the best for the job. Ex-military. A real disciplinarian, and a total badass. When the two of us started all this together a few years ago, I let him take charge. I probably had the best claim to a leadership position, the whole thing was my idea, but he has the best mind for it. He's a soldier. A general."

"So, if he's the general, what are you?"

"I'm a ghost." He said, the same cryptic air he had in her apartment making a return. "I'm better suited for the solo work than leading. I prefer it that way. Never much cared for sitting behind a desk giving orders when I could be out in the field affecting real change."

She considered what he said for a moment. She could certainly believe it. It wasn't that hard to see that Percy was somewhat of a lone wolf. He just emanated that mysterious and dangerous vibe that you'd get from watching old westerns about the solo cowboy that saved a town. With his looks and his personality, rolled into a ball with the energy he emanated, it was like he was plucked straight from a movie.

"You don't mind him bossing you around?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her. Percy smirked, like the mere insinuation was humorous to him.

"I wouldn't say him bossing me around is the dynamic we have. He may try, and for the most part I'll listen, because we share a common goal, but for things we disagree on, well, I'm my own man."

"Like what you said about strays? About me?"

"You're perceptive, good. But yes, exactly. Jason has a little bit of an issue with me finding people like you. He's a soldier, and this is a war; he feels like every time I recruit someone like you, I'm dragging a civilian into it." He explained.

"And how do you see it?"

"I think it's the right thing to do. The _only_ thing to do. I understand his sentiment, really, I do, but it's naïve. Everyone in our little group wants to take Nakumara down, because every single one of us is going through the same thing you are. Every single one of us had someone taken. I can't deny that opportunity to anyone who's suffering the same as we are."

The reality of what he was saying sank in. She realized what this group he was describing really was. It wasn't some militia of public defenders. This was a coalition of people who had been hurt the same way she had. Who had lost as much as she had. Who were as alone as she was.

"Every single one? Jason? Katie? You? All of you?" her voice did nothing to hide her shock.

"Every. Single. One. Every one of us knows the pain you're feeling. Jason's missing a sister, Thalia. Katie her mother Demeter, who normally runs the place. Katie pours her energy into keeping _'Demeter's'_ afloat, in honor of her mother. Jason, he's dedicated himself to running our operations, taking Nakumara out, and getting his sister back."

"And you?" Hazel questioned softly, already able to tell this was a soft spot just by his omission of his own story.

"Let's just say we're more alike than you think, Hazel... They have my mother, Sally Jackson, the best woman I've ever met." He paused for a moment, gathering himself. "She's the reason I take in every single person like you I can find. I know how much it hurts me that she's gone. How could I possibly leave you in that apartment to wallow in misery when I could show you a different way?"

Hazel felt the weight of his words fall on her soul. It was like someone had loaded up a barbell with two houses and asked her to deadlift it to the stars. Her heart already ached for herself and for her poor mother, but now her grief extended out to the families of all the people in Percy's group.

"Thank you." She said sincerely. "For taking me in. If your group will have me that is." She murmured.

Percy stood up unexpectedly, gesturing with a nod of his head for her to follow him. She caught up to him, forced to hustle to keep pace with his long strides. When she fell into step, taking two steps for every one of his, Percy finally spoke again.

"Don't worry." He said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "They'll love you, I'm sure of it." He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, and she felt a little bit of her nervousness wane.

They continued their walk through the tables, and Hazel wondered absently where they were headed. She glanced back at their table, worried that Katie would be upset when she returned to an empty table with their drinks. When she turned back around, Percy was standing in the entryway to the kitchen, raising an eyebrow expectantly at her.

"You coming?" he asked, his mouth upturned in a small smile.

"What? I don't work here! I can't go back there." She protested.

Percy rolled his eyes, raising a finger to prompt patience from her. He disappeared into the depths of the kitchen, leaving her to stand awkwardly outside the doorway. When he finally returned, he was dangling what looked like an apron in his hands. Before she could protest, he was draping it over her. When she looked down, she could make out the cliché 'Kiss the Cook' printed across the front in bold lettering. She let out a groan.

"Now you do, now come on." He said cheerfully, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

He grabbed he arm, tugging her along before she could even think to question it. He pulled her back into the kitchen, where the smells from earlier were even more noticeable. She felt her mouth water, and she remembered they hadn't even gotten to eat. As she was dragged along, her stomach yearned for a massive plate of food.

Threading themselves through the various chefs, Percy took her to a large walk in freezer, opening the door with a huge poof of cold air. She followed him in, the sound of the door slamming shut behind them making her jump. Her breath fogged up as she let it out, and her eyes wandered the room. There was nothing special about it. All she saw was frozen food. She wondered what he took her here for. Maybe ice fishing?

"It's a dead end." She voiced her thoughts aloud, hoping he'd explain.

"Oh, it's far from a dead end, Hazel." He said from his place by the rear wall of the freezer. "First lesson about this world you're about to dive into; nothing is as it seems."

Percy pressed his hand into the wall, and for a moment, nothing happened. Then, as if someone flipped a switch, a green bar of light lit up beneath his palm, scanning his flesh like a bar code. Coming from nowhere, a robotic female's voice rang throughout the freezer.

_"Biometric scan: Complete. Subject: Percy Jackson. Status: Authorized."_

Hazel's eyes widened. On the wall that Percy had placed his palm, various lights burst to life. Each line of light seared its way across the wall, tracing a random pattern and leaving a fiery trail in its wake. When the lights stopped moving, the image of a pine tree, the same one that had adorned the shirts of the weight staff, flashed brightly at her.

"What the-" she murmured, disbelief in her tone.

"Don't worry, it get's better." Percy teased from her side.

It did. The wall started to move, the sound of gears turning surrounding her on all sides. With a few clanks and clunks, and a large grinding sound halfway through, the entire wall sank into the floor, giving way to something else entirely.

Hidden behind the faux wall, there was what looked like an extremely lavish elevator. It was what she pictured the people in the upper city would have in their thirteen story condos. Percy stepped into it, waving his hand dramatically for her to follow. She trailed him in, spinning in a circle as she admired the thing. After a few moments the doors closed, and their descent began.

"You guys have a secret underground base? How'd you make this? How'd you _afford_ it? This is upper city technology."

"You're asking the guy who had nectar how we can afford an elevator?" Percy scoffed. "It's actually nothing compared to some of what we have down here. One of us, Leo is his name, is an absolute savant with anything mechanical or technological. Another one, Annabeth, can hack just about anything that's ever seen a power switch. You'll meet them both. Together, they give us all the funding and technology we need."

"I thought you were a bunch of people like, well, like you and this Jason guy? I thought you were essentially soldiers fighting a gang war."

"No, far from it. That's the beauty of this whole thing. The entire reason Jason and I formed this group was to stop Nakumara. As people joined, not all of them had the will or the skillset to do what Jason and I do, but they still wanted to help. Some of them do the things Jason and I do, but everyone has their own jobs. Their own important roles. Take Katie, for example. She can't stomach violence in the slightest, but she helps by allowing us to run our operations underneath _Demeter's_, hidden in plain sight. Or Leo for another example, guy couldn't win in a fight with his great grandpa, and that guy is dead, but I'll be damned if he doesn't know his way around a wrench. Either way, we're all on the same team. We're all one family fighting to be whole again."

"That's amazing. It's a whole community." She admitted in awe.

"I think so too." He said with a smile, his grin stretching all the way to his eyes.

He sounded very pleased. He was clearly proud that she thought his and Jason's brainchild was as impressive and virtuous as she did. He sounded proud of what they'd already accomplished. What they were going to accomplish. She could understand that. It was admirable, what they'd done in the pursuit of justice for their loved ones.

"And I'll be a part of it?" she asked hopefully.

"Yea, in any capacity you want. Whatever you can handle, and whatever you _want _to handle. In fact, we can get a head start on the assignment process. Do you have any special skills?"

Hazel thought about it, but she couldn't really think of anything. She wasn't a soldier like Jason, or a "Ghost" like Percy, whatever that meant. She couldn't hack everything in sight like this Annabeth girl, or build anything like this Leo guy. She couldn't even run a restaurant like Katie did. She'd been an above average student in school, and she knew a few magic tricks she'd learned as a lonely kid, but that wasn't helpful. She felt woefully inadequate compared to the people Percy had told her about.

"Nothing remarkable." She mumbled, sounding ashamed of herself.

"That's alright." Percy said, smiling at her. "Are you willing to learn?"

"Of course I am." She said indignantly.

"Then we'll make a soldier out of you. I can promise you that." He said encouragingly, his voice inspiring hope in her mind.

They fell into a comfortable silence as the elevator continued its descent. Suddenly, the elevator stopped moving down, and started jetting forward instead. She took the change in stride, figuring nothing could surprise her. While they waited, she thought about everything she'd learned so far. He had been right back in her apartment. Nothing was the same now that she'd walked through those diner doors.

"One question though." She spoke after a moment, breaking the noiselessness of their lengthy elevator ride.

"Not that I'm counting, but you've definitely already asked more than one question." He teased. She spluttered for a moment and he laughed at her, before finally having mercy on her and waving for her to continue.

"What's with the pine tree?" she said confusedly, referring to the insignia that had burned itself into the freezer wall.

"Ah that. That's our logo of sorts. Thalia's pine, we call it." His voice somewhat softer than it had been prior.

"After Jason's sister?"

"Yea, exactly. It's an homage to her. It was Piper's idea, actually. Don't worry, you'll meet her too." He said, noticing her confused look. "Anyways, an homage to Thalia, name after the first person to be kidnapped by Nakumara and his goons. The tree's roots are supposed to represent us, all separate individuals. The trunk is supposed to be us coming together, united in one goal. The pine needles are supposed to be our loved ones. Separate pieces of the same tree, all connected. It's a message, that together, one day we'll bring them all home. A message in Thalia Grace's honor."

"That's…" she trailed off, not sure what to say.

"Silly? I know. I don't really think a tree is too intimidating. Personally, I would've picked something scary, like a chainsaw. Chainsaws beat trees every time." Percy quipped.

"I was going to say beautiful, or poetic, or inspiring. Something like that. Silly was the last thing on my mind."

"Yeah, well, I'm sure Piper will be happy to hear that." He rolled his emerald eyes. "She _loves_ to rub it in my face that no one likes the chainsaw idea." Hazel couldn't imagine why.

"What does she do? Piper, I mean. Besides come up with better logo ideas than you that is?" Hazel teased.

She was becoming more comfortable with him with each passing sentence. He still had the same mysterious, chaotic, aura about him, but she could see beneath that. He had a kind heart, despite the dangerous vibes that hung around him. She liked that he wasn't as black and white as he first seemed.

"What does Piper do? Well, that depends on who you ask. You ask her, she's a conversationalist. You ask me, she's our resident interrogator extraordinaire."

"Like torture? The girl who made the pine tree logo is a torturer?" Hazel said in horror. Percy laughed, clearly amused by the picture in his mind.

"No, nothing like that. She's one of our cybernetics."

Hazel's mouth fell open. She thought the nectar back at her apartment had been a surprising development. They had cybernetics in their little group? Those were _outlawed_ among civilians. Only soldiers were allowed to get those mechanical body enhancements. Even then, your biochemistry had to be compatible, otherwise they just wouldn't work. According to what she'd learned in school, the enhancements were rare, even in the military. If they had _multiple_ cybernetically enhanced individuals at the bottom of this elevator ride, they were a seriously dangerous group of disgruntled folks.

"She's a cybernetic? You_ have_ those?" she asked astonished.

"Yeah, she is. And the most dangerous one in my mind. She's got a voice enhancement module. Makes her almost irresistibly convincing. Plus, she's a total smoke show. Put those two things together and it's almost impossible not to give her what she wants right when she wants it. It's why she's our chief interrogator. No harm done to the captive; all the information given. It's unbelievable what she's capable of. I swear, that girl could sell water to a whale."

Hazel pondered his words. She'd never heard about an enhancement like that, and she'd done a whole assignment on the cybernetic process in eighth grade. Pulchritude Corp, the company that produced the enhancements for the military, were only ever reported to make combat enhancements. The idea that they had broadened their horizons without public knowledge was kind of scary, especially considering they were based in Sapphire City. This corporate lie was right in her backyard.

"Is Jason one of the cybernetics? It would make sense considering he's ex-military." She asked, grasping at straws now. She wanted to know that at least one of her assumptions about the way she thought the world had worked was true.

"He is." Percy supplied, causing her to feel some relief that her entire world view wasn't completely shattered. "One of his hands turns into a lightning cannon. It's pretty sick."

Hazel nodded. That one was an enhancement that she had known about, albiet a pretty rare one. It was supposedly only given to the soldiers assigned the most dangerous and important missions. As she thought, another question formed at her lips.

"Are _you_ a cybernetic?"

Percy smiled at her, but this one was more guarded than any he'd given her before. His eyes told a different story than his smile. This was dangerous ground to tread on. He'd been cryptic early on, sure, but he'd never seemed to be outright evasive until now.

"A gentleman would never kiss and tell." He chirped, effectively side steeping the question in a friendly manner, though his voice was steely.

She realized rather quickly this wasn't an area to press on, at least not now. Deciding to drop it, they settled into silence once again. As they waited in baited silence, she noticed him tapping his foot relentlessly on the ground. His hands were swinging wildly at his sides, and he was blowing bursts of air up his face to play with his messy hair. His patience seemed to be wearing thin, and fast.

"There's no way you sit through this every single time you come down here." She claimed, already knowing she was right.

There was just no feasible way. They'd been talking most of the time, and he still seemed bored. She couldn't picture him waiting this out by himself. When he processed her words, he breathed out a sigh of relief, seemingly just happy to have something to talk about again.

"You're right." He admitted. "But the newbies have to come in this way. The quicker way is a transport tube, it jet's you right down there in just a few seconds, but that one literally won't let you through unless your biometrics are in our data base, so we get to ride the stupid supply elevator."

Almost like it heard his words, the supply elevator let out a large groan. For a brief second, she thought it was getting stuck. She might've let out a scream. Luckily, Percy was there to reassure her that nothing was out of the ordinary.

"We're here." He declared, hovering his hand over a button on the side wall. "You ready for things to change?"

She was. She absolutely was. There was nothing she wanted more. This was everything she'd dreamed it would be since the night she found him bleeding in her kitchen. This was an opportunity to find her mother, make her kidnappers pay, and help a lot of other people while she did it. She'd never been so ready for something in her life.

"I'm ready." She said with a confident nod, her head held high.

Percy smiled at her, almost with pride gleaming in his eyes. He pressed the button, and slowly but surely the two elevator doors creaked open, giving way to her new life. Things would never be the same.

**XxXxX**

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**AN:**

**There it is, the first chapter in the books. I really hope you guy enjoyed it! I worked really hard on improving my writing this time to try and make even the least interesting parts interesting. I know there hasn't been **_**any **_**action yet, but I promise it's coming. I just need time to set up this entire world. Rather than diving right in, I need to do a little world building before I get to it. Don't worry, for you in depth readers, I'm dropping clues about the future along the way. Now, about the actual content. I know Hazel felt like a whirling mass of questions, but I promise that's not her character. I just felt it was a realistic reaction for someone in her position. I'd be as confused and curious as she was if I was in her place. Plus, it provided an avenue for Percy to talk, and gave us a lot of expositional dialogue that is important to the story. Also of note, yeah, Jason is the leader of their group, sorry. It's tentative though, because Percy is still the guy. They were co-founders for a reason. Jason may be the bad ass super soldier, but Percy has more than enough up his sleeve, I can promise you that. I'll expand more on this and more next time. I hope you all enjoyed! Please drop a review letting me know how I did, especially considering I've never developed an entire world by myself like this before, so review, review, review. Anyways, until next time,**

**Peace**


	3. Chapter 2

**AN:**

**Hey guys, we're finally back. As always, before we get started, I want to give thanks to everyone for the support you give me. Now, first and foremost, I know this was a pretty long time for me in terms of update speed, but to be honest with you, I've had barely any time to do anything but schoolwork recently. Whoever convinced me engineering was a smart idea should be reprimanded. Anyways, this chapter is finally shaking off the restrictive bonds of world building. The rest of that business will be done amidst the plot. That's right, things are finally getting going now. Just stick with it, I really think you'll enjoy where this is headed. So, here it is, chapter 2 of "All That's Left"**

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**XxXxX**

Hazel was nervous standing outside the imposing double doors; despite Percy insisting that everything would turn out fine. He told her that Jason was a perfectly even keeled and reasonable guy, but that hadn't done too much in terms of consolation. Something about meeting an ex-military cybernetic who was the head of a group fighting a literal street war against a violent gang was slightly nerve wracking. Still, she hadn't asked to join up just to turn back because she was afraid of a little conversation.

"You ready?" Percy asked from her side, looking down on her with a glint in his eye she couldn't identify.

"Yea…" she swallowed the lump in her throat. "Yeah let's do this."

Percy smiled knowingly, like he hadn't expected a different answer in the slightest. She wondered how this man, still a stranger by any definition of the term, had more confidence in her than she did. Whether that was depressing or inspiring, she wasn't sure. Percy made to push open the double doors, but a hand on his stopped him.

"Shouldn't we… I don't know… Knock?" she asked hesitantly.

"Hazel, never announce your presence. It makes you easier to kill. That's basically vigilante 101." He said with a wink.

She couldn't tell if he was joking or giving her a lesson, but she heeded his words anyways. Deciding to throw caution to the wind, she pressed into the doors, sending them careening open with more force than she intended. They flew back, crashing against the walls, the noise proclaiming her arrival to the heavens.

"Smooth." Percy muttered from her side, chuckling to himself as he walked in.

The room was dimly lit and decorated sparsely; probably to be expected of a veteran soldier. The dominating feature of the room was the massive desk in the center, covered with various papers and mementos. There were two people in the room already, and she quickly realized that both of their eyes were on her.

She felt the warmth of a blush creep up into her cheeks. The heat sprawled across her face like a warm towel of embarrassment. She already wasn't the most confident person, and the two pairs of eyes drilling into her were far from encouraging. One set, a startling grey, not dissimilar to the clouds of a brewing storm, scanned her analytically. The other pair, sitting on the opposite side of the heavy desk, was a striking lightning blue that eyed her with curiosity.

Under their gaze her brain was screaming and kicking for her to run, to curl up in a ball and hide. Everything in her ached to wilt under their stares, but she fought the urge. She doubted devolving into a blubbering mess at just a look wasn't the most endearing thing she could do right about now. Despite herself, she schooled her features, putting on the most confident façade she could muster. Apparently, that was enough for both of them, because their eyes flicked to her companion instead.

"Percy, we're in the middle of something." Jason sighed, gesturing between himself and the blonde-haired girl.

Beside her, Percy shrugged, telegraphing he couldn't care less what they were in the middle of. Hazel tried her best to look apologetic for both of them, but Percy wasn't doing her any favors. In fact, the smirk on his face told her that he'd been _hoping_ to interrupt, and if she could see that, the analyzing eyes in the room would be able to read it clear as day.

"Annabeth," Jason began, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Is it alright if we finish this later?"

The boring grey eyes flickered from Jason to Percy and back again, before finally falling on Hazel of all people. The stormy eyes traced her outline, clearly sizing her up more vigorously than before. After a few moments, Annabeth nodded to herself, seemingly satisfied.

"That is acceptable." She said evenly, obviously putting effort in to seem completely levelheaded. "We'll reconvene when you're done here?"

"Yea, sure. I'll call for you." Jason replied, waving a hand dismissively at her. His eyes never left Percy as she left the room.

Hazel watched the stare down with trepidation. Jason's eyes screamed irritation, and Percy's single mockingly raised eyebrow was a sign of his amusement. She couldn't help but feel like she was trapped in a room with two nuclear bombs, and neither had a failsafe. As soon as the heavy doors shut softly behind Annabeth, the battle of wills melted away like ice cream in the summer heat.

"Sit." Jason said, gesturing to the seats across from him, the animosity that had just filled the air forgotten instantaneously.

Hazel followed his instructions, dropping herself onto one of the seats across from the blonde man. She sank into the soft cushion on contact, and the plush leather was just begging to be snuggled into. Despite her sudden urge to cozy up in the admittedly extremely comfortable chair, she did her best to sit tall and straight, hands folded in her lap, trying to appear militaristic for the ex-soldier. If she was going to ask for a position in his group without any notable skills, she figured being respectful was a must.

In the seat next to her, Percy was not following the same formula. He had lain himself sideways across the chair, his legs dangling over an arm as his head rested against the other. His bright emerald eyes twinkled with mirth as he eyed Jason. Hazel could tell he was trying to get a rise out of the man, she just couldn't quite put her finger on _why_.

"Who's this?" Jason asked, agitation creeping into his voice already.

"This." Percy began, nodding his head towards her. "is Hazel Levesque; our newest recruit."

"Percy, what have I told you about civilian recruiting?" Jason grumbled tiredly. They'd obviously had this conversation dozens of times by now, and Jason seemed to have gotten sick of it long before this iteration.

"That it's bad, and we should never do it under any circumstances. But what have I _shown_ you about civilian recruiting? Leo? One of mine. I'm pretty sure Piper was a civilian before I found her. Annabeth too. That's three of the best people we've got, and they were all civilians before. Hell, I'm a civilian Jason. Who's to say Hazel isn't the next civilian turned brilliant asset?" Percy argued.

A disinterested look graced his features, but his voice betrayed him. The emotion was evident there. This was something Percy was deeply passionate about, that much was clear. He may have only been partially arguing with such conviction for her, and mostly arguing for the principle of civilian recruitment itself, but Hazel still appreciated the sentiment. It felt good to be believed in.

"The others I will accept as fair points I suppose." Jason relented. "But you and I both know you're a special case. I'd hardly say you classify as a civilian."

Percy rolled his eyes, but Hazel's furrowed a bit. Just what exactly made Percy a special case? Why was everything so enigmatic when it came to Percy? The more things about the guy got explained, the more confusing he got. It was disconcerting that with each thing she learned about him, he seemed more of a stranger than the moment before.

"That's not the point, Jason." Percy pointed out. "What I'm saying still stands. She deserves a chance. Hazel's old enough to make decisions for herself, and she wants to help. Isn't that what we're looking for? People who want to help?"

"I never said this, but you have a point. She gets, a chance then." Jason acquiesced, eyes drifting to her golden ones. His lightning stare engulfed his, and she did her best to hold it despite the protest of all her anxious nerves. "So, Hazel, why come here? What makes you want to help?"

"I…" she paused to choose her words carefully. This felt like the job interview of a lifetime. "My mother was taken, and no one will do anything about it. If no one will do something, I will. I'm only here thanks to the fact met Percy by pure happenstance, but I'm glad I am. He's made it abundantly clear that you're the only chance I have of saving my mom. He's also explained to me that you're all going through the same thing I am. If I have the chance to reunite with my mom _and_ to help everyone here meet their loved ones again as well, what kind of person would I be if I _didn't _do everything in my power to help you?"

Jason folded his hands in front of his face, lips pressed into a thin line. He soaked up her words, and she dared to think he even looked the slightest bit pleased, though he was trying to hide it. To her right, Percy was grinning haughtily, obviously taking great joy in her slowly winning Jason over.

"Compelling." Jason commented finally. "A want to attitude is invaluable to us, and can get you a long way, but we're going to need more than that. What does you joining up do for us? I'm not putting someone in harms way if they're going to be next to helpless."

"You're next to helpless and you put yourself in harms way all the time." Percy added wryly. His eyes sparkled with impish glee as Jason smoldered.

"And you're next to being sidelined unless you remember yourself." Jason retorted, obviously being pushed passed his limit by Percy's prodding.

Percy smiled playfully, dragging his hand across his mouth like he was zipping up a coat. Hazel was torn between admiration and disbelief at Percy's casual disrespect he'd been consistently displaying. Part of her envied him for having the confidence in himself to speak his mind and do as he pleased, but the other part couldn't believe he was so nonchalant about his interactions with his superior. Admittedly, the line between superior and equal for the two of them seemed hazy at best, but the idea still held true. It was baffling his utter disregard for the hierarchy of the organization he'd helped to found.

"Anyways." Jason grumbled, turning away from the childlike man still draped lazily over his leather chair. "What can you do for us? What does Hazel Levesque have to offer?"

"I…" she hesitated, because she still hadn't thought of _one_ _thing_ that would make her stick out. Not with all the talent they supposedly had at their disposal. "I'm not sure entirely, to be honest. But Percy told me that you guys are willing to teach, and I'm willing to learn. I picked up on things pretty fast in school, I guess. I know that's not much, but I-" He held up a hand to stop her, the last of her sentence dying in her throat.

Percy finally sat up in his chair, any feigned indifference disappearing now. He leaned forward in anticipation, eyes watching the interchange like a tennis match. Hazel could see his fingers drumming nervously against his leg, and she could have sworn they were marching in tune with her racing heart.

"I've heard enough." he said curtly.

"I- Oh…" her gaze dropped. She'd heard that tone before. It was the one that people used right before they gave her bad news. The one people used when they pitied her. She'd heard it more than she would care to admit, and that made it as recognizable as the back of her hands.

"I'm sorry, I don't think our normal arrangement will work out for you." Jason said slowly, his words falling from his lips like honey.

"I… I understand…" she forced out.

Her worst fears for how the interaction would play out were seemingly about to be realized. She felt bile in her throat. She wanted to throw up. She'd been teased with the idea of being able to do something good. The opportunity to help her mother. Instead, she'd only been forced to face her inadequacy in the form of rejection. She rose to leave, but a hand on hers stopped her. Percy was coming to her defense.

"Come on Jason, I'll vouch for her." Percy argued, his voice finally serious. His eyes were swirling hurricanes now, telegraphing the intensity of his thoughts.

"That's exactly the problem Percy." Jason snapped. "You do this every time. You bring someone down with no skills or experience, and somehow every time you weasel me into letting them join, saying you'll vouch for them."

"I don't see the problem with that." Percy crossed his arms. "Everyone I bring into the fold is a good soldier. A good person. What's wrong with that?"

"It's not so black and white, Percy." Jason argued. "Every time you bring in these inexperienced people, good agents have to take time off to teach them because _you_ won't. You bring in new blood just to wash your hands of them once they're here!"

"Jason, you know that's for good reason!" Percy hissed. "You really think I should take some new recruit with _me_ into the field? On the missions _I'm_ assigned? Or do you think that we could risk me _not_ going out while I spend time training them? You know that wouldn't work. It's not possible that I play tutor _and _do my actual job." Percy protested vehemently.

"Well you better make it possible." Jason said, his eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that if Hazel is getting in, it's only as your protégé. It'll give you someone to reign you in a bit, and she'll be learning from you, who I must begrudgingly admit is the best man we have. It's a win-win in my eyes." Jason explained, standing firm.

"You're telling me that we have no one else to teach her the ropes?"

"Oh, come on Percy. You know we don't have the manpower for that right now. We're spread thin as is. If you want Hazel so badly, you make the choice. It's under your tutelage, or it's not at all. It's all up to you, Perce. Is she in, or is she out?"

Hazel looked to Percy, doing her best to plead her case with just a glance. Some may have misconstrued the desperation in her golden eyes as pathetic, but she knew Percy would see it as something different. She knew he would see how much she wanted this. Needed this. She knew he would because he had to.

For his part, Percy looked torn. He was eying the ground in front of him like it was the most interesting thing in the world by a vast margin. She could tell he wanted to say no, but something was stopping him. Everything she'd learned about Percy so far leaned towards him saying no. He clearly hated doing what anyone told him too, even Jason, maybe even especially Jason, and he obviously liked working alone. He was the exact opposite of someone who would want an apprentice. Still, there was a hesitation there, and the longer it lasted, the more hopeful she grew.

Finally, Percy's gaze raised from the floor underfoot. His sea green eyes mingled with her golden ones. She could see the muscles in his jaw tighten and untighten like corded steel. His eyes were unreadable, and his nostrils flared for a moment. The room rang with deafening silence as her and Jason waited for an answer. When he finally spoke, his voice came out hushed, but powerful. Two words was all it took.

"She's in."

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**XxXxX**

It was raining. It was always raining in Sapphire City. She'd always thought the rain was beautiful, but it was much easier to say that snuggled up inside. The dull pitter patter on the roof would often lull her to sleep, a comforting white noise as she nestled into bed. Now though, trapped in the torrential downpour, it was much less soothing. The pounding as the biting cold rain splattered down all around her seemed much louder than it ever had, and it was assuredly less peaceful too.

Percy, who was perched on the rooftop next to her, didn't seem to share her discomfort. He looked at home in the inescapable reach of the mourning skies. His mask was on, and his midnight hair dripped lazily in front of his emerald eyes, but in the soaking rain he looked more at peace than she'd ever seen him.

"Why exactly did we come here again?" Hazel shouted over the heavy rain.

It was a genuine question. This was the first time they'd left the base since she'd first gotten in. The last week had been a whirlwind of introductions, training, and trying to figure out her exact role in the organization. So far, she'd made almost no progress in finding her calling as a vigilante, but despite her misgivings, Percy said she was coming along fine. On a happier note, her coworkers, for lack of a better term, all seemed fairly pleasant. It was a little victory, but those were most important.

"Because," Percy said, reaching down to his belt. "We finally have something to do."

When his hand came back, she saw a handgun in it, the metal gleaming menacingly in the dim light. He quickly flipped it in his hands, thrusting it towards her grip first. For a moment she hesitated, but an imploring nod from him urged her onwards.

The weight of it surprised her, but not because it was heavy. It was ridiculously lightweight. Even more shocking, the grip seemed to be perfectly molded to her hand, resting comfortably in her fingers. The craftmanship was obviously Leo's, and it was obviously custom made for her. She'd never had her own gun before, and she wasn't quite sure how to feel about it.

"This is for me?" she asked curiously, hopelessly trying to wipe away the rain on her face.

"Yeah, I had Leo make it for you on your first day. You just didn't need it until now." He explained, as if gifting someone a custom-made firearm was an everyday occurrence.

"I'm going to need it?" she squeaked. "You haven't even taught me to shoot yet!"

"It's easy." He said, waving a hand at her. "All you do is point."

He reached over his shoulder, grabbing one of the pistols he had sequestered on his back. It was larger than hers, and clearly heavily customized. What every little attachment and alteration he had installed did, she had not the faintest clue, but it sure looked intimidating. He raised the gun, pointing it across the street.

"And shoot." He continued, punctuating his words with a finger tightening around the trigger.

The gun jerked an infinitesimal bit in his hand, but Leo's workmanship was second to none, minimizing the recoil dramatically. The bullet whizzed out of the barrel of his pistol, silenced to barely above a whisper. A camera on the warehouse across the street exploded in a shower of sparks, the fiery lights joining the rain in its trip to the cement before it faded.

"Something tells me it's not that easy." She mumbled. "And I'm not sure I even _want_ to shoot anyone."

It was something she'd been struggling with since joining up. Just another thing to add to all the reasons she felt useless in her new life. If she was going to learn from Percy, she'd have to do some of the things Percy did, which included shooting people. The problem was, changing from the regular teenager she was a week ago to a gun wielding vigilante wasn't the smoothest transition in the world to make.

"Don't worry." Percy rested a hand on her shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. "I doubt you'll have to. I'm only giving it to you as a precaution, just in case you need it. I'll take care of everything for us."

"About that. What exactly _are_ we taking care of?"

"That." He said, pointing across the street to the warehouse whose camera he just destroyed. "It's one of Nakumara's warehouses. One of the last one's in the city I haven't raided. We're about to finish what I started."

"I take it we're looking for something in particular?" She asked. Percy nodded in approval.

"You're catching onto things fast." He commented. "You're right. Jason's been sending me out periodically to raid these things looking for information. Hopefully, we'll find some clue as to Nakumara's operations. If not, well, Nakumara and his crew deal in more than just people, and we could use the supplies."

"So how do you usually do this? Do we charge in guns blazing?" She inquired.

"No." he laughed for a moment. "What have I been telling you from the very start? Jason is the soldier. Me? I'm a ghost."

Without warning, he rose from his squatted position, jumping clear off the roof. Hazel darted towards the edge, sure he'd just killed himself, only to see him at the bottom of the twenty plus foot drop completely unscathed. He didn't even look bothered that he'd plummeted off of a rooftop like a stray shingle. He waved up at her, eyebrows raised in challenge. She realized pretty quickly he wanted her to follow.

"I'm not jumping off of a three-story roof, are you insane?" she called down to him, straining for her voice to carry over the downpour.

"Oh, come on, Hazel! Do you really think I'd let you fall?" he hollered back.

"I don't know. Maybe." She said, feeling a little silly at the idea that she was doubting him. Still, it was difficult to throw yourself from a rooftop in reckless abandon, no matter who was waiting at the bottom to catch you.

"You wound me." He teased, placing a hand over his heart. "You'll be alright Haze; you just have to trust me."

She thought about it for a second. Did she trust him? In the past week, she'd learned a great deal about the man waiting down below. She'd seen that he was a lone wolf to the core, a loose cannon who was used to doing whatever he wanted by his own rules by himself all the time. She knew that he didn't like that she was forced on him; that he resented being forced to play teacher, but part of her could tell that he didn't hold any of that against her specifically.

Besides, she could look past that part of him; thanks to the fact that she'd started to familiarize herself with the other side of him as well. She'd seen his kind nurturing side. She'd been on the receiving end of it already a great deal. She'd seen his sarcastic nature, and his fun attitude. She'd even been privy to some of his deeper philosophical thoughts. He was a contradiction. Enigmatic but open. A lone wolf, but a kind teacher. So yes, all in all he may be a crazy loner with a passion for jumping off of rooftops, but she definitely trusted him.

With a deep breath, she tried to relax. Big breath in, big breath out. She exhaled all her fears, and then she was running, jumping off the roof with the same fearlessness Percy had put on display. That lasted all of about a half a second before she realized what she had just done, and then she was screaming.

It felt like she was falling in slow motion. Her eyes were shut tight, but even in the darkness beneath her eyelids she could feel as much. After what seemed like an eternity, she felt her feet hit solid ground, only instead of going splat, she landed with a soft touch. Her toes kissed the ground like a butterfly's wings, and her eyes opened hesitantly. She was on the asphalt, completely unharmed, and Percy's eyebrows were raised to the sky in amusement.

"How the? What the?" she stammered out; confusion wrought across her features.

"Moon boots." He said, nodding towards the shoes on her feet. The ones he'd given her on her first day. "I turned them on for you while you were busy playing with your new gun."

She looked down at her feet, awe on her face as she noticed the dim blue glow emanating from the sole of her shoes. She hadn't even known her shoes _could_ turn on; she thought they were just shoes. Even crazier, she hadn't felt Percy touch her feet, which was both a little impressive and a little unnerving.

"Moon boots?" she questioned, her head still a little dizzy from the panic of the fall.

"Moon boots." He agreed. "A little project that Leo's been working on. They're supposed to be able to change gravity for the user. I promised to test out the 'low' setting for him. Good news, they work."

"Wait, you didn't even know if these worked?" she asked in horror. He'd just made her jump off a roof with nothing but a _prototype_ to protect her?

"Relax," he said, ruffling her hair. "I tested them first, didn't I? Now come on, Jason's going to throw a hissy fit if we're not back soon."

She nodded in affirmation, too disgruntled to talk. She was still a little miffed that he'd hedged their lives on a bet that Leo's experimental shoes would work. She followed him across the street, stepping over puddles as they drew closer to the warehouse. There were no guards posted outside, but she doubted the same would hold true once they got in.

He led her into a side alley, his footsteps reverberating off the stone walls. He came to a stop about halfway in, gently knocking his fingers against the warehouse exterior. Percy nodded, seemingly satisfied with the location.

"This will do." He said quietly to himself, digging around in a small pouch looped around his belt.

His hands came out with four small metal balls. He stuck on the wall them a good distance away from each other, the outline between them tracing a rectangle on the stone. When the last one was placed, he gave it a squeeze, causing all four to start beeping. Percy strolled casually away, whistling as he walked. She was too confused to move, but luckily Percy noticed, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her away just in time, twirling her around to put himself between her and the blast.

With a huge boom, the wall erupted in front of them. Stone and debris was sent crashing through the air as a massive hole was blasted open in the wall. The shockwave rustled her clothes and dust caked her hair, but she was otherwise unharmed thanks to Percy.

He let her go, already walking towards the open hole in the wall. She saw a few cuts and scrapes leaking blood on his back, no doubt thanks to him shielding her, and she felt guilty for not moving sooner. She simply hadn't had time to process what was happening, and he'd paid the price for it. There was no time to feel apologetic though, as Percy was already through the wall. She ran to catch up with the man who'd just saved her.

The entire interior was dimly lit, with grey walls and floors making up the entire place. Rows and rows of shelves were lined with guns, ammo, and boxes who's contents she didn't want to see. Drops of blood decorated the floor, giving her a clear path to follow to find Percy. When she reached the end of the liquid path, he was waiting for her; he was standing near the end of an aisle of shelves, his pistol out, and his eyes narrowed.

"What happened to vigilantes never announcing their presence?" she asked him, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Relax." He consoled. "I _want_ them to know I'm here."

She opened her mouth to respond, but found it clamped shut by his palm. He put a finger up to his face, waiting for her to give a sign she understood. When she nodded, he removed his hand, tapping his ear, a sign for her to listen. She strained her ears, trying to make out whatever noise he heard. It was eerily silent to her, but obviously he heard something. After a few moments she heard it. Footsteps drilling towards them, heavy combat boots pounding against the hard floor. She steeled herself, her knuckles in a death grip around her pistol.

All of a sudden, Percy pushed her back against the shelf with one arm, using the other to raise his gun towards the larger aisle that opened up beside them. A man rounded the corner and was met with a silent gunshot to the head before he could process the sight of them. The guard collapsed to the ground with a soft thud, blood already pooling around his head.

She fought the urge to squeal. It was much easier to picture yourself fighting gang members when you were daydreaming about saving your mother, but when they were up close and personal, it was a much different thing. As terrible as they were, as that man probably was, he was still a man bleeding real blood. A real person, dead in a second. It was gruesome and messy to say the least. She felt queasy.

"You alright?" Percy whispered, obviously noticing the fresh green tinge to her skin even in the dim light.

"Yeah just…" she breathed out. "Just haven't gotten used to that is all."

"Hopefully, you'll never have to." He said sincerely.

After giving her a moment to gather herself, he led her deeper into the warehouse. Hazel finally understood what he meant when he told her that he was a ghost. Where her wet shoes squeaked softly against the ground, his were completely silent. It was as if he was floating across the ground rather than walking over top of it. He was a wraith and she was a one man marching band.

The further they got, the more guards they ran into. The gang members were obviously searching for the pair, but Percy dropped them with a single shot every time before they came close to finding them. She tried her best to pay no attention to the quiet gunshots and the corpses they left behind, but it was impossible to ignore the iron smell of blood in the air, or the clink of the bullet shells as they clattered on the ground.

After a while, the endless maze of shelves of illegal contraband ended. The racks opened up into a massive open space, filled with dozens of men brandishing intimidating assault rifles. Across the way they saw a small office, the dim blue glow of a computer screen shining through the window.

"Here, take this." Percy whispered to her, being careful not to alert the guards. He pressed a small USB into her hands. "Sneak around in the shadows and get to the office. Download everything on that computer and wait for me."

She nodded, too nervous to speak, squeezing the USB tight in her sweat palm. She snuck her way towards the nearest wall, as it was the furthest away from the overhead lights. With a gulp of air, she stepped out into the open, leaving the cover of the shelves and pressing herself into the shadows. With each footfall she tried to minimize the noise that her shoes gave off doing her best to imitate Percy. The further along the wall she got, the more she thought she was doing pretty well at this whole sneaking thing; that was until she saw Percy.

If she hadn't been actively looking for him and known where he had started, she'd have missed him entirely. While she was inching closer to the office, he had been climbing one of the racks of weapons. He was at the top now, and she watched in awe as he leapt from the top of the shelf to the rafters, clinging on with one hand. She kept on scooching along, back cemented to the wall, eyes on Percy as he hoisted himself up.

Her heart was beating in her chest as the whole scene unfolded. Using her hands to feel her path along the wall, her eyes flicked back and forth between Percy overhead and the guards milling about in front of her. She was close now, but there was a problem. There were no shadows left to hide her covering the last ten feet between her and the office door. She'd have to run for it, but she'd be putting herself right in the clear line of sight of every gangster in there.

She looked up to Percy, his emerald eyes visible to her even from this distance. His eyebrows were furrowed, his gaze flickering between her and the door. He raised his pistol, pointing it down towards one of the men below. She saw the muzzle flare, and she knew this was her shot. Hazel whipped towards the office, ignoring the fear in her chest, and ran for the door.

It was the longest ten feet of her life. Each step felt like an eternity as chaos erupted around her. Screams and gunshots rang through the air, and she did her best to not look back. Her legs churned underneath her, threatening to collapse due to her extreme overload of apprehension. One stray glance from a guard and she was done for. She soldiered on, crashing into the door with force.

Finally, with a cry of relief, she was bursting into the office door, slamming it shut behind her. The pandemonium outside was muffled now, and she took a moment to catch her breath. Her blood pounded in her veins, adrenaline filling her like a drug. She felt terrified, but also exhilarated. She could see what Percy enjoyed about this line of work. She felt more alive than she ever had, despite the fear that was like a block of ice in her stomach.

The gunshots still cracked outside the office doors, but the fact that they were still shooting told her Percy was still alright, at least for now. Rushing to the computer, not wanting to waste the time Percy was buying her, she sat down at the desk. The computer was still logged in, which she was thankful for. She couldn't hack like Annabeth, so she was glad that the gang member's best idea for cyber security was a bunch of guys with guns standing around protecting a computer.

Opening the files on the computer, she saw stacks upon stacks of data. There was way too much to even begin to comprehend. In a brief scan, she saw names, addresses, photos, shipment schedules, and so much more. It was a jackpot. This computer seemed to hold all the information of their operations. She fumbled with the USB, hurrying to start the download. She pressed the USB into the slot, but it wouldn't go. Flipping it, she tried again, only to be met with failure once again. Her nerves were through the roof, and her shaky hands weren't helping. She flipped the USB one last time, and it finally slid into the slot.

"Happens every time." She muttered to herself.

She started the download, watching impatiently as the terabytes of data completed the transfer. It was agonizing, waiting for everything to transfer over. As she waited, she allowed her attention to drift back to the sounds coming from outside, or rather the lack thereof. The crackle of gunfire had stopped. It was silent.

Her palms were sweaty as she waited for something, anything to happen. Her heart was in her throat, pounding nervously against her jugular. One shaky hand grabbed her pistol from her waistband, rising slowly to go check on what was going on outside. When she turned around, she was met with a man standing over her. She hadn't even heard him come in. She let out a scream, and tried to raise her gun, but a hand stopped hers. A familiar chuckle filled the room.

"It's me Hazel, no need to go wild west on me." Percy chirped, one hand removing his mask to reveal a reassuring smile.

She looked him up and down. He looked like he'd taken a tour of a red paint factory. Blood caked his body, but he seemed unbothered. If the cheesy grin on his faced was anything to go by, most if not all of the crimson liquid wasn't his. Seeing he was the one who made it out of the firefight alive was a huge relief. Seeing what it took for him to survive was much less relieving.

"What did we get?" he asked, stepping around her small form to examine the computer screen.

He leaned over the desk, waiting for her to join him at his side. She swallowed the nervous lump in her throat that had been there since they'd split up. He looked back at her, who was still rooted in place. Her golden eyes met his, and his eyebrows were raised expectantly, waiting for a response.

"Everything… We got everything…"

**XxXxX**

* * *

**AN: **

**There you are, another chapter finally. I hope you really enjoyed this one. I wanted to do a lot with this. First, I wanted to expand on Hazel and Percy's characters. I wanted to delve further into Hazel and her sort of nervous and shy persona, and also the difficulties of transitioning from regular teen to vigilante. For Percy, I wanted to demonstrate a little more of who he'll be in this story. Still mischievous and playful, but a bit more reckless and insubordinate. He's a bit of a loose cannon, and isn't used to working with others, but he's going to have to learn. I like it this way, because it gives him lots of room for growth as a person without changing the key things that make him who he is. Hopefully you can vibe with that. As for the part with Jason, I wanted to show that Percy and Jason have a strained relationship, but a friendship, nonetheless. It's something I wish canon explored more. I wish Rick Riordan had put more into exploring how Jason's militaristic ways would clash with Percy's more free-thinking mind, but he didn't, so I'm taking that on in this story. That's all for this time. Once again, sorry about the wait. I'll do my best to be faster with the next chapter, but I can only go as quickly as school will allow. Please be sure to review and let me know what you think, so I can use your input for next time. Until then,**

**Peace**


	4. Chapter 3

**AN:**

**Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter. I'm happy to say that I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, because that usually translates into better work. Honestly, I'm having a lot of fun with this second story. I realize that It's not getting the same response that my first story did, but I'm honestly okay with that. I really enjoy the writing process, and whether my work is enjoyed by hundreds or just a handful, I'm glad I share that connection with my readers. You guys are awesome. As always, thanks for all the support from all of you that continue to enjoy what I'm creating. Enough with the sappy shit, here's chapter 3 of "All That's Left"**

* * *

**XxXxX**

Hard knuckles thumping against the wooden door drew her attention. Three taps and a pause, then one and another pause, followed by two more knocks. A special pattern. Soft steps trailed across the carpet, carrying her to the entryway. She peeled open the door, unsurprisingly greeted by the now familiar frame of one Percy Jackson. He was smiling, but his eyes weren't in it. Something was bothering him. She could tell as much by reading his face by now.

"What's up? I thought training didn't start for," she checked the time on her phone just to be safe. "Another hour or so?"

"Training is cancelled today. We have bigger fish to fry." He said, taking off at a brisk walk without warning. He had a habit of doing that. She assumed it was a side effect from all his time not having to worry if anyone was keeping up with him.

Hazel scrambled to catch up, nearly forgetting to shut the door to her room behind her. Part of her was glad they'd had extra space for her to stay in the base, since it made staying involved easier, but the other part of her regretted it. It gave Percy far too much power to interrupt her day at a moment's notice, just like he was doing now.

"So, about these bigger fish?" she asked, finally falling into stride with him.

"Good news. That data we recovered? Annabeth is finally done cracking through it."

Hazel felt her breath hitch for a second. They'd been waiting for weeks now for Annabeth to crack the encryption. Apparently, the thug's cyber security was better than she thought, because as soon as she'd hit download all the data had locked itself up tighter than Fort Knox. According to the blonde hacker, the code to keep her locked out for so long wasn't even in the public domain.

It had been agony waiting for the information to get back to them. A lot of Percy had started to rub off on Hazel, and one of his most prevalent traits was impatience. The more restless Percy got sitting on his hands, the more Hazel had been itching to finally learn what they'd truly found. It was a constant feedback loop as the two stewed over what they'd retrieved.

"What'd she find?" Hazel said, not even trying to hide her excitement. She knew he was equally giddy about the prospect of finally seeing the contents of what they'd discovered. All they knew right now? It was big.

"I don't know." He admitted. "That's what we're about to find out."

He pulled a door open for her, drawing the world back into focus. She realized then where they'd gone to as they conversed. It was Jason's office, a place that had grown fairly familiar to her now. Working with Percy had that effect. You may get the job done, but you're going to take a lot of trips to the principal's office too. It was just in his nature.

"Percy, Hazel. You're here. Good." Jason said from behind his desk, dark rings prevalent under his eyes.

"Finally." Annabeth muttered from her spot across from him.

Percy rolled his eyes. Hazel was a little peeved by the comment as well, although she'd never voice it. Annabeth had taken weeks to get the information and waiting for that was fine and dandy, but now that her and Percy were a few minutes late for the briefing every second counted? It was rather hypocritical. Hazel decided to attribute it to the attitude Annabeth always got when dealing with Percy. The tension between the two was palpable at the best of times.

"Yeah, _we're_ the ones who took three weeks to figure out the evil gang's password was one-two-three-four." Percy teased, his eyes glimmering with mischief.

Annabeth's grey eyes narrowed with fury. Hazel sighed, already resigned to what was coming. It was a familiar song and dance by now. She'd seen it more times than she could count in her time with Percy. He enjoyed riling Annabeth up, and Annabeth was always too proud to ignore the obvious bait. No one really knew what the deal was with the pair. According to some, they used to date, and the bickering was a result of bitterness from their tarnished past, but others said they were simply two people who were too different to get along. Personally, Hazel thought both rumors held some truth and some falsehoods. One of the most important things she'd learned recently is that things weren't as black and white as she once thought.

"I'll have you know that _password_ was far from that. It was the strongest cyber wall I've ever had to bypass, and second place isn't even close. I don't even know where they got their hands on it. It would have to have come from some serious geniuses. Something you're not even close to, so don't try to argue with me about how _long_ it took to-"

"Enough." Jason interrupted, cutting off Percy's retort. "There will be plenty of time for bickering later. We've got things to worry about in the meantime. For starters, how they got their hands on such a powerful encryption."

Annabeth took a deep breath to calm herself, managing to shove aside her pride. Percy seemed significantly less upset, instead opting to put on a childish pout to chide Jason for ruining his fun. Hazel bit her lip to hold back a chuckle at that. If Percy was nothing else, he was amusing.

"Right. The tech. I doubt anyone except maybe the chief engineers at Pulchritude Corp. or Hephaestus Inc. could throw something like this together. It's incredibly sophisticated, even by their standards." Annabeth explained. Jason nodded in agreement.

"Which begs the question; why haven't we heard of a break in? It should've been the darling of every news outlet in America. There's no way a company would keep the loss of something like this so hush hush. It's a serious piece of hardware and they're just pretending it was never taken?" Jason wondered aloud.

"I uh… I think I'd have an idea why." Hazel said, her voice soft and shy. She was still trying to get a hang of the whole talking to people who weren't her mom or Percy thing. She was more of a sit and observe person at these meetings.

"Go on, Hazel." Percy goaded with an encouraging smile, noticing her hesitation. She shot him a grateful grin in return.

"I'm just speculating, but, well, I got the same idea when Percy first told me about Piper's cybernetic enhancement. It's non-combat related right?" everyone nodded in agreement. "Well as far as the public and the government know, cybernetic enhancements are only supposed to be combat related, and only soldiers are supposed to get them, but that's obviously not the truth. Piper's living proof of that."

"Sure, I guess in theory, but Piper's cybernetic enhancement was designed by Leo. Jason is one of the only cybernetics we have who was government mandated. No tech company made Piper's." Annabeth put in, wondering where Hazel was going with this.

Hazel felt Percy shuffle uncomfortably next to her, but she wasn't completely sure why. It was something to do with cybernetics, he always got a bit shifty when those were brought up, but he'd neglected to share the information with her. Another list of curiosities about the stranger she now called a close friend.

Around her, she saw that everyone was staring expectantly at her. A blush crept up her cheeks as she realized she'd gone silent, pondering the inner machinations of her mentor's mind. Her throat was running dry, and her mouth felt like cotton, but she pressed on as for one of the first times in her life, she was desperate to have her words heard.

"I know that, but it still got me thinking. What if these big companies _aren't_ sticking to the government mandates? What if they _are_ creating illegal cybernetics, the same as Leo? Not Piper's obviously, but someone's. What if they _are_ creating nearly uncrackable encryptions? Or they have some other secret projects? If they're doing all that, they wouldn't want the public to know. The last thing they would do is report something like this stolen. The loss wouldn't be worth exposing their secret work, would it?"

Around the table, her three seniors nodded, considering the idea. There was no outright rejection, which was good, and they even seemed to be impressed by the logic.

"That idea has merit." Jason conceded. "Annabeth, after we're done here, your new priority is investigating _discreetly_ any secret projects these huge tech conglomerates are hiding. I want to know what could be taken next, _before _it's used against us."

Annabeth nodded in affirmation. To Hazel's right, Percy gave her a not so subtle thumbs up, beaming proudly at her. She felt a little pride in herself swell up in her chest that Jason was taking her theory so seriously.

"Next order of business." Jason continued, folding his hands on the smooth desktop. "The files. What did we find?" He looked pointedly at Annabeth.

"Right, the files." Annabeth cleared her throat. "After starting to sift through them, there was just so much to discover, I'm not sure it will ever end. It's a bottomless supply of names, paper trails, and random articles. But I did get one thing already. Something big."

The three of them around her perked up in their chairs. No one dared to breath. This was what they'd been waiting for. Something that could change everything. Annabeth let out a shuddering breath.

"I have a location on Nakumara. And I have it tonight."

* * *

**XxXxX**

The cold rungs of the ladder nipped at her fingertips like an untrained dog. A cool night wind tore through her curly hair, splaying it like a flag in the wind as she climbed. The longer they clambered up the massive crane, the more her muscles ached. Above her, Percy seemed to be scaling the crane completely unbothered despite the extra weight on his back.

She tried her best not to look down, but human nature made it hard to resist. Glancing below her for a brief moment, she felt a lump in her throat. They were almost to the top now, making the lights of the shipping yard below appear like glittering stars. It was beautiful in a way, as long as you could ignore the wind whistling in your ears as you scaled a hundred-meter-tall crane with nothing fastening you to it.

"You coming?" she heard from above her, drawing her attention from the world far beneath her.

She looked up, seeing Percy's masked face peering down at her over the top edge of the crane. One eyebrow was raised questioningly, though his eyes sparkled with amusement. She groaned and continued to climb as his head disappeared over the edge. It would be just like Percy to wonder why someone could be afraid of being up a hundred meters with no safety net. It was like he didn't have a single scared bone in his body.

Pulling herself over the top of the ladder, she found herself on a small platform, barely wide enough for two men abreast to walk across it. Percy was already at the end crouched on one knee, his hands working carefully to assemble a sniper rifle. She joined him at his side just in time to watch him screw on the silencer. It was impressive how quickly he'd put it together considering the only light to go by up here was the dim moon from behind the heavy clouds. He obviously had the muscle memory for it, but she wasn't sure where from.

"Remind me again why we're the ones up here." She commented. "Last I checked, Jason was the one who was in the military, not you. Shouldn't _he_ be the one covering _us_ with a sniper?"

Percy laughed, laying himself down with the sniper in front of him. He fiddled with the scope for a bit, giving it a few adjustments before nodding to himself, seemingly satisfied. Turning to look at her, he handed her a spotters scope, gesturing for her to lay next to him.

"Jason's a soldier, sure, and a damn good one at that, but being a sniper was never his forte." Percy explained, nuzzling himself closer to the gun.

"And it just so happens to be yours?" she commented drily.

"Yeah. Frank taught me how, and I caught on quick I guess." He explained. Noticing the look of confusion on her face, he elaborated further. "Oh, right. I forgot you don't know Frank. He's ex-military, just like Jason. Difference is, Frank _was_ a sniper. Best there was according to Jason."

"And you just picked up sniping? Like it was riding a bike or something?" she asked, astonished.

"Exactly like that. Only took a few days. Admittedly, Frank was a good teacher." He conceded nonchalantly, as if picking up a skill so difficult was child's play.

"You keep saying was…" she said, her voice low.

"You're right, I do. Frank… He's MIA, presumably captured, as of about a week before you and I met. So for now, until we rescue him, he only gets 'was' unfortunately."

"And you don't think he's… you know…"

He didn't say anything for a while. The wind had chilled to a slow breeze as they talked, and the waves lapping at the port below seemed to have lulled a bit. The world was weirdly quiet around them. It was as if nature itself was listening in on their words, giving the dreary conversation an eerie feel.

"No… No." Percy repeated carefully. He sounded like he was trying to reassure himself more than convince her.

"No, they wouldn't kill him. He's a cybernetic soldier, like Jason, but Frank? His enhancement is one of a kind. He's part of the newest generation of enhancements. His isn't as simple as Jason's or Piper's. He can alter his own body… Kind of. You know, temporarily give himself the eyes of an eagle, or the strength of a gorilla, stuff like that. I have no clue how it works, but neither would any of Nakumara's gang, which probably saved his life." He explained.

"How would being that dangerous save him? Wouldn't they just want to erase him?" She asked, mind racing with all the things someone with Frank's ability was capable of.

"That's what I thought too, at least until the warehouse. Think about it," he prompted. "This gang we're dealing with, they've shown interest in advanced tech already with that stolen encryption. Frank's enhancement is as 'advanced tech' as it gets. I highly doubt they'd kill him when they could be trying to figure out how to _replicate_ him."

"I guess that makes sense." She said carefully. She could see his point, but she wasn't completely convinced, and didn't want to dash her friend's hopes. "Just another person to add to the long list of people to save, right?"

"Right, which is why tonight is so important. This could be everything. We _need_ this to work out."

Hazel said nothing, instead opting to wait patiently for the go signal. Peering into her spotters scope, she scanned the shipyard below. She could see all the armed gunman patrolling, and she wondered if even Percy and Jason could make it through this many together. Nakumara was holed up tight, that was for sure.

A buzz in her ear told her that coms were now active. That meant Jason was in position. Swinging her scope around, it took her a few moments to find him just outside the entrance to the shipyard, cloaked in shadows. There was static and a loud shrieking noise that pounded against her ear drum, and then Jason's voice filled her head.

"I'm in position. Are you both set?" he asked, his voice muffled and low.

"Yea we're set."

"Jason are you sure we shouldn't wait for backup?" Hazel asked carefully, hoping he wouldn't take offense to her worry.

"Probably, but there isn't any. The intel Annabeth got said Nakumara is moving from this locale _tonight_. None of our other people can be pulled away from their current assignments quick enough to help, so we're all that's left." Jason explained, the sound of a gun being loaded audible softly in the background. They were really doing this with just three people.

"Believe me Hazel, we're more than enough." Percy said from beside her, his tongue dripping with confidence. "Alright Jason, you ready?" Percy questioned, waving his scope towards the two guards on the catwalk above the entrance Jason was crouched near.

"Locked and loaded." Jason affirmed. "Weapons hot. Mission is a go."

"Range?" Percy said from next to her.

"Four hundred meters." She said, thankful for the scope having a range finder built in. Percy grunted in confirmation.

Hazel listened as Percy took a strong breath, capturing it in his lungs. His finger constricted around the trigger, and his body jolted back a bit, the sound of a bullet tearing through the air audible for a brief moment. In her spotters scope, she saw the first guard drop, hitting the walkway like a sack of potatoes. She heard Percy cycle the bolt once, a shell clinking against the platform they were laying on as it clattered away.

"Hit." She said softly, her voice lofted by the breeze.

Already Hazel was moving to the next target, but Percy was way ahead of her. Still on the same held breath, he paused for an infinitesimally small moment before firing again. The second guy dropped like the first before he could even process his friends demise. This time, the force of the shot sent him tumbling over the railing, plummeting onto the ground below. He landed with a thump just a few feet from where Jason was hiding.

"Hit."

"Jason, you're clear for entry."

"Roger."

She watched him push into the facility, walking carefully through the lanes made by the stacked crates. Jason was dropping man after man on his own completely undetected in a strikingly familiar way to Percy at the warehouse. While he took the ground patrols, Percy and Hazel worked together to pick off the men keeping watch overhead.

It was efficient wet work at its finest. Until it wasn't. Jason missed a guy, and they hadn't noticed either. He'd been cloaked in shadows, nearly invisible, but now he was in the open, and he saw the intruder. The goon was raising his gun, aiming right at Jason's back.

"Behind Jason." Hazel rushed out. "Four hundred and fifty meters out."

Before she even finished talking, Percy was letting another bullet fly, obviously having seen the same man. The round zoomed through the air, but it was just a split second too late. The gunman fell, dead before he touched the ground, but the damage was done. His aim had been thrown off by Percy's shot, but he'd let out a crackle of gunfire as his corpse fell, the bullets rattling off into the sky.

"Shit," Percy muttered. "Jason, you're about to have a ton of angry hosts mad at their uninvited guest."

Almost on cue, the distant sound of an alarm rang out. She saw Jason run off the open path, squeezing into a little alcove between shipment crates to take cover, but it looked like it would be a fatal mistake. It was quite literally a dead end. He turned to escape, but it was already too late. An entire group of guards already had him boxed in.

Next to her, Percy was cycling through bullets like mad, dropping guard after guard as they streamed towards him, but there were just too many. He picked off the ones still grouping up, but the mass was too large. Jason was trapped, hands above his head as he faced a firing squad, the only people nearby too far away to really help. The goons were closing in, guns trained on Jason, and Hazel couldn't force herself to remove her eye from the spotters scope. She couldn't tear herself away from the image of her leader seconds away from being gunned down.

"C'mon. Just a bit longer." She heard Percy mutter beside her.

And then she realized what was happening. Looking closer, she could see the blue glow behind Jason's head. She could hear the crackle of electricity through the coms. The noise grew louder, the light brighter. He was charging a shot. In a blur of motion, Jason lowered his arm, a blast of electricity bursting forth like a lightning bolt, detonating in the center of the clump of soldiers Percy hadn't picked off. Even from the top of the crane, the explosion was deafening. When the dust settled, it was just Jason, surrounded by a pile of ash and debris, standing over a smoldering crater.

"Quite the show." Percy commented drily.

"Yeah, well, you left me with no choice when you let that guy get shots off." Jason shot back, obviously agitated by how quickly the mission had gone south. Percy opened his mouth to retort, but something stopped him.

Behind Jason, there was a blur of motion. A black outfitted man, almost imperceptible against the night, had somehow survived the blast, walking slowly behind Jason, careful not to alert the soldier. He didn't have a gun, he probably lost it in the blast, but a silver knife glittered dangerously underneath the shipyard lights. He was closing in, and fast, and Jason was too busy on coms to hear him.

Hazel opened her mouth to warn Jason, but Percy was way ahead of her again, letting loose another shot before she could speak. A hand flew to her mouth. The wind was blowing ferociously now, and with the way Jason was walking, his body was almost completely in front of the thug, leaving only the smallest room for error. It was a nearly impossible window. About as risky of a shot as Percy could have taken.

The bullet whizzed by so close it ruffled Jason's hair, the sound of the whistling wind being sent back to Percy and Hazel through the coms. The man dropped to the ground behind Jason, dead on arrival, a bullet hole centered directly in his forehead. Jason jumped in surprise, caught off guard by the sniper bullet as it flew by, mere inches from dropping him just as quickly.

"Jesus Christ, Percy! What the hell?" he cried, voice an octave higher than usual.

"Wow, that's a funny way of saying 'Thanks for shooting the guy that was about to stab me, Percy' don't you think?" Percy said, voice oozing sarcasm. Hazel bit her lip next to him, trying not to laugh at Jason's expense.

"Thank you?" Jason protested. "Percy all you had to do was say 'behind you' and I would've taken care of him. Instead, you took a shot into a violent cross wind with low visibility and about an inch of room for error. You could've missed, and then what?" Jason ranted, understandably upset. Hazel begrudgingly admitted Jason had a point in scolding her mentor but chose not to voice it. What, she wasn't allowed to play favorites?

"Please…" Percy said with indignation, seemingly offended that Jason would even consider the notion. "I never miss. You know that."

"I… I don't even… That doesn't warrant a response." Jason griped. "Let's just get back on mission, before I climb that crane just to kick you off." Percy rolled his eyes but agreed to return to their previous focus.

The rest of the mission went almost completely unopposed. It seems most of the guards had been taken out by Jason's arm blaster, leaving him to make it to the cargo yard office nearly unimpeded. Now, standing outside the door, the importance of the moment came crashing down on them all. This was the moment they'd been waiting for. Their biggest opportunity since before Hazel had even joined.

"He should be just inside Jason. Third door on the left, working on a final order list for illegal contraband." Hazel said, referencing the notes Annabeth had provided them. Beside her, she heard Percy chuckle, muttering something about criminals and having a black-market Amazon.

"Got it."

"This is it Jase. Once you're in, you're on your own." Percy said, sobering up quickly.

"I know. I got it." Jason said, slinging his assault rifle over his back in favor of a more maneuverable pistol.

"Good. Now go get the son of a bitch."

Jason didn't waste any time, breaching the door with a booted foot. Muffled through the coms, they could hear the sounds of silenced muzzle fire, along with distant gunshots ricocheting off of metal walls. The gunfire crackled through their heads, bouncing off their skulls like a tennis ball.

Eventually, the gunshots faded away, replaced by the sound of a more physical struggle. They could hear body blows, panting, and violent grunts echoing through their earpieces, leaving them to imagine the ensuing brawl. It continued for a while, leaving the two to sit anxiously, waiting for something to happen. There was a resounding crack, and then the sound of guttural choking.

"Jason, do you copy?" Hazel asked, desperate to know what was going on. He didn't answer her, so she said again, more worried this time, "Jason, do you hear me?"

It was the longest two seconds of her life, listening to the gurgling noises as someone was ruthlessly strangled on the other end. Two long seconds wondering if they were taking Jason home in a body bag. Two long seconds until,

"I'm here… And I've got Nakumara." Jason said, voice tight with strain. Nakumara was still struggling?

"Well will you stop playing around and capture him already?" Percy groaned, obviously disgruntled that he was trapped away from the action.

"Capture him? I've got half a mind to kill him right now." Jason growled out. They heard the sound of electricity charging up, and their eyes widened.

"Jason, are you fucking crazy?" Percy yelled. "Don't do something reckless."

"Reckless? You're one to lecture me about reckless, Percy. You almost shot me! Or better yet, remember _exactly_ how we met, and then try calling _me_ reckless." Jason grunted out, obviously still fighting Nakumara's thrashing form.

"What's he talking about?" Hazel asked, whirling on Percy. Something in the way Jason had said it, like he'd honestly thought Percy was insane, was alarming to her. She knew they had their differences, but this was something else. Something much more worrisome. Mission aside, she needed to know what made Jason seem almost afraid of her friend.

"It doesn't matter." Percy said shortly, biting back something else. Now wasn't the time. "Jason, you know you can't kill him. You kill him before we get him to talk, Thalia dies. Are you looking for revenge, or are you looking to save your sister?" His voice was pleading. It couldn't end like this.

There was silence for a moment. Nothing from the other end of the coms. Slowly, the crackling electricity returned, building up like a violent static. Hazel and Percy looked at each other wide eyed as the noise grew. With a burst, the blast was discharged, followed by their screams. Maybe it _could _end like this.

"Jason, what the hell did you do?" Percy cried.

"Jason, please tell me you didn't just kill him." Hazel choked out, tears threatening to form in her eyes. He couldn't have, could he? If he had, he'd killed more than just Nakumara. He'd sealed the fates of everyone's loved ones. Thalia… Frank… Her mother…

"Relax," Jason panted, sounding pleased. "I just knocked him out. Percy, Hazel, we got him. It's over. It's done."

Hazel felt relief wash over her, but it didn't last long. They had Nakumara, but something in her stomach told her that even now this was far from over. Just one glance at Percy told her he felt the same thing. Whatever was going on in Sapphire City, it was just getting started.

* * *

**XxXxX**

**AN:**

**There we are guys, another chapter in the books. I really hope you enjoyed. I wanted to do a lot in this chapter. You see more of the dynamic between Percy and Jason, first of all, along with mentions of tensions with Annabeth. More importantly, we can see how Hazel is sort of at the stage where she's enamored with Percy, hanging on his every word. He's essentially taken over her life in a mentor role, so to speak. Also, I'm continuing to drop hints every chapter into both Percy's background and the future of the plot. I'm sure some of you will piece together the clues, you just have to look hard enough. That's all I've got for this chapter, please be sure to review and let me know what you thought. Until the next time,**

**Peace**


	5. Chapter 4

**AN:**

**I'm going to be honest with you guys, this chapter was supposed to come out yesterday. All it needed was to be reviewed, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it given the circumstances. I was not particularly in the best state of mind to do anything, let alone write.**

**I was, and still am, devastated by the deaths of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and the rest of the people who had their lives cut short so shockingly yesterday morning. I know their passing has caused immeasurable amounts of hurt for so many, myself included. For those of you feeling similarly to me, my heart reaches out to you. I strongly urge all of you, whether the tragic event affected you or not, to take a lesson from what occurred yesterday. Life is short, fragile, and completely unpredictable; it doesn't care who you are or what you've done for the world. Because of that, I just want to implore all of you to enjoy every moment of life and love as strongly as you can. **

**As some of you may have realized by now, I'm a huge quote guy. I use tons of quotes I love in my writing, and the tragedy that occurred yesterday has left one particular quote by C.S. Lewis in the forefront of my mind. **

"**Isn't it funny it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different."**

**It's amazing to me, that two days ago, so much of the world was oblivious to the mourning they'd feel so soon. We take each day for granted, letting each moment pass by as if it were nothing. In reality, change is happening all the time, and you really just have to stop and actively search and find it, as it's not often as clear as it was yesterday. I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't let your life just be a mindless march. Cherish the march, sure, but know **_**why**_** you're marching, and enjoy the scenery. **

**Now, enough about that. For those that don't care to hear the preachy feelings fest that was, I'm sorry. I just had to get that off my chest. Any of you who feel a similar need for an outlet, know I am available. Anyways, enough depressing talk, here's what you came here for, chapter 4 of "All That's Left"**

* * *

**XxXxX**

It was a strange sensation, knowing she could see him, but he couldn't see her. Watching him through the one-way mirror, she could feel hate bubbling over in her stomach like a pot left to boil. It wasn't in her nature to feel such righteous fury, but she permitted herself these emotions just this one time given the man who'd become the target of her ire. Ethan Nakamura.

Even bruised and bloodied, he still cut an imposing figure. He was cuffed to the desk, his long hair greasy and disheveled. A foul grimace adorned his face, only adding to the menacing visage painted by his most prominent feature. Opposite his one cold eye was an inky black eye-patch, masking the empty pit of his abandoned eye socket. His wicked appearance only aided in fueling her fury, not that she needed anything more than what had initially sparked. The bastard had kidnapped her mother after all, and that was cause enough.

She couldn't bear to look at him anymore. She was afraid that if she allowed herself to continue to watch him, she would end up doing something rash and inadvisable. Tearing her gaze away from the vile menace, she turned to her mentor, a question forming on her lips.

"Are you sure about this?" Hazel asked curiously, putting aside her anger. "Do we really want to send Piper in there alone with _him_?"

"More than sure." Percy affirmed, uncrossing his arms. "Piper's the only chance we have of getting anything out of him. Guys like him? They don't crack just because guys like me have a mean right hook. What we need, only she can provide."

From her left, the soft click of a door handle being turned grabbed her attention. Golden eyes flickered towards the quiet noise, landing on a kaleidoscope of iridescent colors. It was Piper, with Jason in tow. Not for the first time, Hazel was in awe of the Cherokee girl's natural beauty. As always though, the most impressive thing came next. Her voice.

"Are we ready?" Piper asked. Her stare drank in the aura around the room for a moment. "Relax. I'll get what we need." She tacked on, obviously having noticed the tension.

Her voice was smooth and delicate, like a gentle forest creek. It washed over Hazel, sending a wave of tingling comfort down her spine. She knew well enough that Piper was using her cybernetic enhancement, but she chose not to fight it. The comforting sensation that came with her sing song voice was a thing of wonders, even when Piper wasn't trying. Experiencing the full charm of her ability was entrancing in a way. You could feel the pull of her voice, feel it manipulating your senses, but no matter what you couldn't help but let it happen.

"We know you'll take care of it. You're the best for the job." Jason said encouragingly from her side, looking at her with a strange reverence.

That was another thing Hazel had noticed in her time there. Jason was laughably infatuated with Piper. The Cherokee girl was harder to read, so Hazel had no clue if the feelings were reciprocated, or if Piper even knew about them. She seemed to rotate between aloof and oblivious of Jason's affection on most days.

"Best get to it then." Percy interposed, nodding towards the interrogation room.

Piper nodded, turning and stalking into the room with Nakamura. Her whole demeanor changed from what Hazel usually saw. Her hips held more sway, her head was more upturned, and her face was frozen in a sultry smirk. She looked less Piper and more seductress now. Jason and Percy seemed unsurprised, telling her this was typical of interrogations here. She couldn't help but note the irregularity of the whole scene despite their nonreactions. This was definitely nothing like any interrogation she'd ever seen in the movies.

As Piper entered, the battered man looked up from the cold metal table, eyes, or eye rather, taking immediate interest in what he saw. There was confusion there, coupled with a healthy dose of curiosity and excitement. Clearly, like Hazel, this was far from what he'd been expecting.

"And who might you be? I thought they'd send someone… Uglier." he said confidently. He seemed interested in Piper, but not because he was taking her seriously.

"You flatter me, but I'll be the one asking questions. Is that alright with you?" Piper asked, her head tilted to the side daintily.

Even through the glass, Hazel could feel the tug of Piper's words at her mind. The girl was laying it on thick, and the control it inspired was nearly tangible. Deep in her core Hazel could feel a deep desire to listen to every word that dripped from the Cherokee's lips. Hazel's tongue tied itself into knots, halting her from comment. Her throat had locked up and Piper held the key.

"I… Of course it is." Nakamura responded, his breathing shallow.

"Good." Piper responded, walking closer to him. He lustfully eyed her up and down, but if Piper minded, she didn't show it. "Now, there's just a few things I need to ask you."

"I'm not telling you anything." Nakamura hissed, ripping his eyes off of her.

"No?" Piper quirked an eyebrow.

"No." he affirmed, setting his mouth in a determined line. He refused to meet her kaleidoscope gaze.

"I'm impressed." Percy commented. "The guys don't usually make it even this far."

"Really?" Hazel questioned, finding her voice again.

Percy smiled at her as he nodded to Jason opposite him. Turning to her other side, she took in the enthralled form of Jason Grace. He was too enraptured in Piper's performance to even notice them talking. It was almost cartoonish, the gob smacked look on his face.

Back in the interrogation room, Nakamura's face slowly morphed to match Jason's. Piper hadn't taken no for an answer, instead drifting even closer to him now. She trailed a single slender finger up his arm, tracing his figure as she walked behind him. He tried to lean back so his gaze could follow her form, but a hand to the back of his head halted him. His eye glittered with yearning, as if this was some sexual game.

Hazel could understand how for Nakamura this could feel less like interrogation and more like seduction, but from her position it clearly wasn't. As Piper sashayed slowly around him, it would look teasing to the casual observer, but to someone looking more closely, she wasn't doing anything of the sort. She was stalking. Prowling. Lurking. She wasn't a seductress. She was a hunter.

"Now now." Piper chided airily. "If you won't give me what I want, then I'll just have to go." Piper leaned down into his ear, her mouth just centimeters from his head. "You don't want me to go, do you?" Piper whispered, laying it on heavier than ever.

"No. Don't go!" Nakamura cried, jolting forward in his chair. The cuffs tugged against his skin, biting deep into the raw flesh on his wrists, but he didn't seem to mind. Piper rose behind him, a victorious smile on her face. She shot a wink to them through the mirror before prancing her way across from Nakamura, gracefully seating herself opposite him.

"Well then I guess we're just going to have to have a conversation, aren't we?" Piper said, her voice floaty and teasing.

"Yeah, sure, whatever you want." He replied, almost manically. "Just don't leave."

"I'm right where I want to be." Piper responded, winking at him. He seemed to melt at the gesture, now completely in her control. Even to the outside observer it was clear that Nakamura was putty in Piper's hands.

"So," Piper began, leaning onto skinny forearms. "All those people you kidnapped, are they alive?"

"Yes." He said, sounding like a man hypnotized. In a way, he kind of was.

"Where are they?"

"I… I don't know." He admitted, looking heartbroken. His lone eye screamed apology, as if his soul burned because he couldn't help her.

"Aren't you the one who took them? You just lost track of dozens of people?" Piper pushed on.

"No I… We… I didn't lose track of them, per say. More I… handed them over." He spluttered out.

"To whom?" Piper pressed; eyebrows furrowed.

"I can't. He'll kill me. Or worse." Nakamura protested; terror wrought across his face.

"Oh, come on." Piper pouted. "You can tell me. I'll keep a secret." She grinned encouragingly.

"Al… Alright. I don't know what he looks like, his identity was always masked, but I know his name... It's Luke. Luke Castellan. And he's one dangerous son of a bitch."

Hazel turned to Percy, hoping the name would mean something to him. His face was contorted into a frown, but she couldn't tell if the cause was recognition or confusion.

"Luke Castellan." Piper repeated, testing the name on her tongue. "What did he want with them?"

"I don't know, honest. He found me one day. Said he heard I was the best smuggler in town, that I had the best men money could buy. He offered me a deal."

"What kind of deal?"

"Money, drugs, weapons, even some fancy new tech. I don't know where he got any of it, but he wasn't telling, and I wasn't asking. All I know is, he'd come to me with a name, and my gang and I would have to bring them to him, or else the payments stopped."

Hazel's eyes widened at the significance of what he'd just said. This Luke guy _selected_ who was taken by name. There weren't some random kidnappings. Every incident was calculated. There was something more sinister at work here.

"What did he do with them? How was he picking them?" Piper said, obviously emotional. Hazel could tell she realized the importance of what they were uncovering as well.

"I don't know what he did with them. All I know is that he wanted them alive, said he needed them that way for whatever he was planning. I don't know how he picked them either, just that he was _very_ obsessive that I only ever brought him the ones he specifically asked for."

"Only two more questions." Piper said gently, her voice soft, but with a hidden edge. "Do you know where he took them? Or where I could find him?"

"No," he said sadly, shaking his head. "He never let me see where he went. Every time I had him followed, purely out of curiosity, my men ended up dead. We'd find them laying in an alley in a pool of their own blood. All I know is, he's not from around here. He had upper city written all over him. You want to find him; I'd suggest starting there."

Piper stood, giving a satisfied nod. She turned to leave, being chased to the doorway by his desperate cries for her to stay. He was flailing in his chair violently as he bellowed, but she ignored him, shutting the door softly behind him as she returned to her companions.

"Luke Castellan? Any of you heard of him?" Piper asked, eyes dancing between them.

"No," Jason admitted, free from his Piper induced trance now. "I've never heard the name. I'll get every person we have in the field searching for him. There's no stone in the city he can hide under."

"We should see if Annabeth can dig anything up in the usual databases as well." Piper supplied, earning a nod from Jason. "Even then though, with just a name, it will be like finding a needle in a haystack."

"Unless…" Hazel muttered, an idea forming in her head.

"Unless?" Jason repeated.

"Unless we don't just look for Luke. What if we're looking at this wrong? We just found out that everyone that was taken was _hand selected_. There must be something making him pick who he picks, right? If we can find out _how_ he's picking them, we might be able to figure out _why._ And if we know why he's taking them..."

"We might be able to figure out who he'd go for next, and then follow the trail." Piper finished.

"I like it." Jason agreed. "It's your idea, I'll put you and Percy on that."

"Speaking of." Piper chimed in. "Where did Percy go?"

Only then did they realize he was gone. Inwardly Hazel berated herself for taking her eyes off of him for too long. She knew Percy well enough to know he had a nasty habit of disappearing without you noticing. They whipped about for a moment, wondering where he could have gone, but that question was answered quickly.

A gunshot echoed from the interrogation room, causing them all to jump. Inside, Percy stood over the corpse of Ethan Nakamura slumped against his chair, a hole in between his eyes. His arm was still outstretched, the dull metallic glint of his gun reflecting the bright overhead lights back at them.

"Percy, what the hell?" Jason yelled, slamming a fist down on the intercom button, sending his voice into the room.

Percy looked over to them, spying them through the one-way glass. His gaze fell right on Jason, which was creepy given the fact that they _knew_ he couldn't actually see him. He slowly lowered his gun, hiding it behind his back like a toddler trying to keep something from their parents. His face adopted a childish grin, as if they didn't all know he'd just shot Nakamura.

"What?" Percy asked innocently. "I thought we were done with him?"

"Percy, we don't just execute prisoners, no matter _who_ they are." Jason scolded.

"You're right." Percy said rolling his eyes as he held up a pair of handcuffs. "But he was escaping, see?"

"You're hopeless." Jason retorted, his eye twitching. Piper looked rather amused by the whole thing.

"Whatever." Percy said. "We ran through his goons like we were playing a video game, but _now_ you're squeamish about killing when it's the guy who organized what we've been fighting against this entire time?"

Jason blinked. As gruesome as it was, Hazel could see his point. Why go through the trouble of killing all the faceless bad guys just to let the ones that really matter live out of some sense of betterment? That was a moral tight rope they couldn't afford to walk.

"He's got a point, Jason." Piper said, echoing Hazel's thoughts.

"I know. He almost always does." Jason admitted bitterly, taking his hand off the intercom button.

"Then why does he bother you so much?" Hazel interjected, coming to the defense of her mentor. She knew Percy's methods were sometimes gruesome, strange, and even downright insane, but they always seemed to bother Jason far more than anyone else, and she wanted to know why.

"Because… As much as Percy is on our side, as much as he's good at what he does, as much as he's good at heart, he's a loose cannon." Jason said tactfully, eyeing the man tapping his foot impatiently against the floor in the next room. "And a loose cannon eventually points your way."

* * *

**XxXxX**

Hazel thumped her head against the wall rhythmically, cherishing the dull throb that came with it. The faint ache that accompanied the monotonous pounding served well to drown out her frustration. Across the room, Percy seemed equally upset. He was frantically flipping through the files again and again trying to find _something_ they'd overlooked. They'd been at it for hours, but still the thing connecting all the missing people was a mystery.

"So let's run through this one more time." Percy breathed out, running a hand through his unruly hair.

"We've gone over it a thousand and one times." Hazel groaned.

She slumped further in her chair, her back sliding down as her chin came to her chest. Her brain was fried from pouring over the same documents for hours on end.

Percy let out a breath. He started gathering the wrinkled files strewn throughout the room and straightening them, evenly stacking them back into a neat pile. Crossing the room nimbly, he sat himself directly at Hazel's side. He plopped the recently reorganized documents down on the desk in front of her, tapping the top paper emphatically.

"I know we did. But we _must_ be missing something."

"Fine." Hazel grumbled, pulling herself back up in her seat, leaning her head on a hand precariously.

"Let's start simple." Percy began, flipping through each document slowly, sea green eyes tracing the ink with hunger. "What do we know for sure?"

"We know that every single victim was taken from the undercity and that every single one of them was low income, which is essentially the same thing." Hazel recapped. "But that doesn't help us much. If being poor was the criteria, he wouldn't have been so picky. Everyone here is poor. They could've just plucked anyone off the streets."

"Right." Percy agreed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "What about acquaintances? Family members? Job history? Favorite color? Anything from Annabeth's profiles that can link any of them to each other?"

Hazel flicked through her copy of the dossier Annabeth had given them on every single person that had gone missing. None of them were related. None of them had any similar job history. They had no overlapping known acquaintances. Although the reports Annabeth had scrounged together were thorough, she was pretty sure they didn't include favorite color.

"No, none of that." Hazel said sadly, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"And medically? Do they all have the same blood type? Are they all particular juicy organ donor prospects? Theoretically this Luke guy could have gotten access to medical records and been using them to harvest top grade organs and blood for black market use."

Her fingers danced over the paper, turning from page to page rapidly as her golden eyes searched for a pattern. Desperately, her head scanned page after page, only to find another let down. The blood types were different, and they weren't all ideal organ donors either. Another dead end. Just as she was about to keel over in defeat, an idea formed in the back of her head. She latched onto it, clinging for dear life.

"What if it's not just them? What if it has something to do with their _family's_ medical history?" She asked slowly.

Percy's eyes widened.

"I'll have Annabeth get that to us as quickly as possible." He rushed out, already heading for the door. It slammed against the outer wall, crashing back into place with a bang, leaving her to wait for his return. She took the opportunity to rest her brain, actively looking anywhere but the all too familiar documents in front of her. It didn't last long though. Percy was back within the hour, a new stack of files clutched in his grasp.

"If there isn't something here, I have no clue where to look." Percy huffed out, coming through the doorway more gently this time.

He handed her a stack of papers, this time including more than just family history. This time, the actual medical records of immediate family were included as well. The workload was heavier, but hopefully the payoff would be sweeter. Reinvigorated they got to work.

They read together in silence for a while, giving the occasional expletive as they both chased after endless patterns only to see them fall flat too soon. Hazel wasn't sure how much longer she could take it. The longer she flipped through the files, the more she wanted to tear her own hair out. Her idea had been a complete disaster so far.

"There's nothing." She mumbled out after a while longer, unable to hold in her frustration. "I thought I had it. But there's nothing. Another dead end."

"I think so too." Percy agreed, shaking his head. He sounded defeated. "But if the connection isn't here then where is i-"

She waited for him to finish, but the end of his sentence never came. Looking up from her papers, she found him staring intently at the page in front of him, mouth agape. Rising quickly, she was leaning over his shoulder in a heartbeat.

"What?" she said hopefully, eyes darting across the paper in his hand. "What is it?"

"It's so obvious." He muttered, blinking rapidly. "I don't know how we missed it after all this time."

"What is it?" her voice came out barely above a whisper.

"The cybernetic gene. The one that allows people to mesh with the cybernetic enhancements. It's rare, am I right?" he asked, guiding her to the same revelation he'd just had.

"Yeah, sure, but not everyone who's been taken had it. And not everyone was related to someone with the gene either." She argued, not entirely following his train of thought.

"I know." He admitted, flipping through some more pages. "But every single person taken was one of the two. Look through it. Any cybernetics capable people that went missing, everyone else in their family is normal. Any normal individuals missing, they have at least one cybernetic capable person in their family. Never multiple cybernetics, never zero."

She flew through the records now, easily spotting the distinction after he'd pointed it out. It was so clear; she had no clue how it had taken them so long. He'd been right, it had been hidden directly under their noses the whole time. A thought stopped her though.

"What about me? I don't have the cybernetic gene, and neither does my mom. I would've known. She would've told me. We break the trend."

Percy's eyes softened, and his mouth gave her a consoling half smile. Sliding a single sheet of paper to her across the table, it took one look to see that she was wrong. The file said everything. Her mother _had_ kept it from her. Her mom, the one who she shared everything with, had withheld something from her, and she had not even the faintest idea why.

"I'm sorry." Percy said sincerely, his face clearly conveying regret. "I don't know why she'd keep it from you, but your mother _did_ have the cybernetic gene. It's why she was taken. It _has_ to be."

He whispered the last part, desperation spread across his face. They needed to be right about this. It was obvious how much he regretted telling her that her mom wasn't as honest with her as she once thought, and if he'd uncovered that ugly truth for her all for nothing? She swallowed a lump in her throat, pushing her emotions to the back of her mind. It hurt, knowing she'd been lied to, but she couldn't let it bother her right now. Crying wouldn't save her mom, action would.

"So what does this all mean then?" she asked, avoiding the topic altogether. "Castellan took my… Is taking all these people for _something_ to do with cybernetics, right?" she managed to get out.

"It seems that way." He nodded. "I just have no clue what that _something_ is_._"

"Any guesses?" she prompted, wanting to at least know where his head was at.

"Yeah," Percy said worriedly. "Just one. The only reason I could think of is that he's studying the gene. And there would only be one reason someone like him would want to study it."

"Which is?"

"To weaponize it."

There was a pause while she pondered his theory.

"But isn't it already weaponized?" she argued, purely for understanding. "It's literally only ever used to outfit soldiers… And I guess some of you guys."

"In a sense." He said, drumming his fingers frantically on his leg. "But not in the way I'm describing. If I had to guess, this Luke guy is studying how the gene develops, and if there's a way to replicate it."

In a flash, Hazel's eyes widened as she realized implication of what Percy was describing. The science of the cybernetic gene was one that was still a bit of a mystery, although not for a lack of trying. The gene only ever developed in humans, making it difficult to do any testing on it without violating morality. For someone like Luke though, who wouldn't care what his experimenting did to the subject, the secret to replicating the gene could be close. With that science behind him, an entire army of cybernetics could be at his disposal.

"That would be…" she trailed off, at a loss for words.

"Devastating." Percy finished. "You saw how much damage Jason can do back at the shipyard. You saw how dangerous Piper is. I've told you about the insane things Frank is capable of. Imagine If Castellan, or someone like him, got their hands on an _army_ of people like them. He'd be unstoppable."

"How do we stop something like that?" Fear tickled her voice.

"Before it happens if luck is on our side." He rubbed his hands down his thighs nervously. His foot was tapping the round at a blistering pace. "Now that we know _how_ he's picking his targets we just have to identify the next one. I'm sure there's others with the gene throughout the city. Once we know who they are, we set people up to watch them. We let one get taken and follow the kidnappers back to whatever pit they crawled out of. If we're fortunate, Luke, the missing people, and everyone who's earned themselves a bullet will all be under one roof. Everything we need, gift-wrapped in a shiny red bow."

She nodded, sensing the excitement in his voice. She felt it too now, that electricity. They were so close. All they had to do was wait. Pretty soon, they'd be the ones with the upper hand. Luke Castellan and his operation were going down. A smile stretched across her face. They'd done good work today.

"I'll get this to Annabeth as quickly as possible." Percy said, rising from his seated position. "We don't want to waste any more time."

She watched him go, his feet treading lightly beneath him. Just as he crossed the threshold, a thought hit her like a truck. Something that had been on her mind earlier, but she'd lost in the thrill of their discovery.

"Percy, wait!" she called after him, halting him before he could disappear around the corner. He stopped in his tracks, eyes falling on hers with a shining curiosity.

"You think of something else?" he said patiently, waiting for her to speak.

Despite the question she was about to ask, she felt her heart swell at the way he talked to her. It was another thing about him she'd come to appreciate. No matter how much she bogged him down with questions or random thoughts, he never seemed bothered. He was an incredibly impatient man, but endlessly patient with her. For someone who'd rarely seen other people have the patience to hear more than a sentence from her, it meant more than she could describe.

"I… I uh… I…" she finally spluttered, her previous thought eluding her for a moment. She wasn't sure how to frame the delicate question.

"You 'uh'?" he smiled, like her stuttering was extraordinarily charming. It was the same way people look at puppies innocently doing hilariously silly things. Pure joy and amusement from something so simple.

"I uh… I didn't see your medical records in the pile." She finally managed to squeak out. "Or your mother's, for that matter..." she trailed off, leaving the question lingering in the air like morning dew.

His eyes darkened, his brow furrowed, and his posture stiffened. In a sentence, he'd done a complete one eighty, going from joy to something quite the opposite. Her primal instincts told her she'd made a mistake, that she shouldn't have asked, but part of her argued that she deserved to know. Percy was her closest friend, and she knew that she was probably his. Whatever it was that he was so upset about, she wanted to know, even if it meant standing in the face of his anger.

"That's a… It's complicated…" He said finally, his voice hard.

"You don't have to tell me, but if you want to… I've got the time." She murmured. Hazel patted the seat next to her gently, a gesture of invitation. He seemed to accept it, his previous anger washing away like chalk in the rain by the time he sat next to her.

"No… I should, it's just… I don't know…" he began, clearly struggling for words. His mood had changed so quickly. Cheerful, wrathful, and now somber, all in the span of moments. He was flippant like the sea, and his tormented eyes were reflecting that now. She could see he was thinking, and she gave him his time. It wasn't right away, but eventually he continued.

"I don't know why there weren't medical records for my mother and I." He admitted. "Annabeth checked every single database known to man. There was nothing."

"Nothing?" the words fell out of her mouth like tumbling stones.

"Nothing. It didn't end there, either. She thought it was strange, so she started to search _other_ databases besides medical. No insurance. No home ownership. Not even _citizenship_." He hissed the last word. "According to the entirety of the internet, of every record book, government or private, Percy and Sally Jackson have never existed on this earth."

"How long have you…"

"A long time now. Only Annabeth and Jason know, and now you. I didn't want them to tell the others because then they'd ask questions, and I just don't have the answers for them."

She'd never seen him look so haunted. She couldn't imagine what it was like to learn that according to the world you weren't a person. That your mother wasn't either. All those times he'd told her he was a ghost, and it had never felt more real than right at this moment.

"Why wouldn't any records exist? Did someone erase them? Are you the cybernetic capable one? Is your mom?" she finally managed to choke out. Her words were barely above a whisper. She knew he didn't want questions, but she couldn't help herself. Her shock was ruling her body.

Slowly, he looked up from the spot on the floor his eyes had been latched onto. Sea green irises, rimmed in red, met hers. He looked beaten down, worried, and far from anything she'd ever seen from him. This was something different entirely from the person she knew. Something more raw. More real. More human.

"That's the thing Hazel… I just don't know."

* * *

**AN:**

**There you have it, another chapter in the books. I'll keep this brief, considering the long AN at the beginning. To recap, we now have an actual big bad guy. That's right, Nakamura was just a steppingstone, as I'm sure you all could've guessed. Still, the truth is far away. As much as they feel like they have things under control, there's much they don't know about what's going on in Sapphire City, not to mention what's going on with Percy. Hopefully you guys are enjoying the mystery to go with the action. As always, please please please let me know how I did. Anyways, until the next time,**

**Peace.**


	6. Chapter 5

**AN:**

**It took a minute, but I have another chapter here for you all. Things are really spicing up. There's a lot of action in this chapter, which is good to balance out all the mystery of the previous one. Don't worry though, there's still plenty of extra information you can glean from this if you look hard enough. With each passing chapter, more of the end of this is becoming clear, so keep an eye out for the little details, and more importantly, enjoy. Here's chapter 5 of "All That's Left"**

* * *

**XxXxX**

Soft moonlight trickled down from above, casting a dim glow across the concrete jungle around them as they waited in bated silence. For multiple nights now, the pair had watched fruitlessly over the building, waiting for _something_ to happen. As of yet, they'd spent more time staring painfully at the building's front door than they'd spent doing anything else the past few days. The waiting was agonizingly slow.

Luke had yet to make his move, and things around the base were starting to get tense. Everyone was frustrated. Although no one would ever say it to the two of them, many believed Percy and Jason's preemptive capture and Percy's subsequent killing of Ethan Nakamura had sent Luke into hiding. Hazel held some of those same doubts, but Percy had assured her that wasn't the case. According to him, anyone willing to go to the lengths Luke appeared to be wasn't going to give up when he found out someone was after him. If anything, he was going to fight back.

And so they had waited. And waited. And when the waiting was done, they waited some more. Now, it was almost like they were playing a game with Luke. She wondered if he knew they were watching over this house, waiting for him to send someone after one of the boys inside. She wondered if he was waiting for them to make a move first. She wondered if he was watching them this entire time. It was a scary thought.

A nudge at her side drew her attention. Percy met her eyes, a dangerous visage marring his features. He nodded across the street, drawing her attention to something. Pressed against the cement wall, lurking in the shadows, a silhouette was ghosting towards the building's door. Even being told where to look, her eyes could barely make out the figure. How Percy spotted him in the first place, she wasn't sure.

The shadow inched closer, finally stopping in its tracks just outside the door. Hand hovering over the handle, the outline of the man paused. He turned outward, eyes scanning his surroundings suspiciously, as if some sixth sense told him Percy and Hazel were there. Their breaths caught, their posture going rigid as they hoped to avoid detection. As his gaze passed over their hiding spot in the alleyway, Hazel could've sworn she saw his motion hitch just for a second. Luckily, before they were discovered, his eyes continued tracing his surroundings, seemingly not noticing the danger that was concealed so close.

The man turned back to the door, satisfied that he wasn't being watched. Her and Percy let out a collective breath as his fingers once again gripped the doorknob. The door slowly swung open, the presumed kidnapper moving at a snail's pace in order to avoid making any noise. Just as he was about to slip in, everything went to shit.

Behind them, the sound of a falling trash can exploded into the night. The harsh metallic clanking reverberated off the concrete, sending a cacophony of jarring noises to their ears. Hazel's blood ran cold. A quick glance behind her showed the culprit. A rather fat raccoon with an apparent penchant for eating garbage had spoiled their whole operation in his pursuit of dinner. If their mission wasn't so vital, she might have even laughed at the unlucky occurrence.

Across the street, the man had obviously heard the noise. The falling trash can was soon followed by a slamming door as the man whirled on their position. In the corner of her vision, she could see Percy's hand slowly creeping towards his gun, ready for a fight. It was a brief stare down between the two through the shadows, but it felt like an eternity. Apparently, a fight wasn't in the cards, as the man was the first to break their locked gazes. The silhouette turned away from them, taking off at a sprint down the street, his legs eating up distance faster than she expected.

"Shit." Percy cursed, taking off after him. There was nothing else to do but run after him, for the first time thankful for all the conditioning Percy had made her do since she'd met him.

The man cut into the first alley he could find, trying to escape into the darkness. They ducked in after him, hot on his trail as he sprinted through the narrow path. As he fled, he grabbed a trash can, tossing it in their path to hinder their chase. They slowed for moment to jump it, giving the man enough time to climb the fence blocking off the end of the alley.

Percy, who was running in front of her, didn't even waste time climbing it. He ran at an angle, leaping into the side of one of the buildings and kicking against it, propelling himself to the top of the fence. He landed with his hands griping the top of the fence, hoisting himself up with one smooth motion. Pausing at the top, he leaned back over, dropping a hand for her to grab onto.

Jumping to reach his grip, she felt herself being swung over the fence, landing in a heap on the other side. By the time she started to lift herself from the cement, Percy's booted feet had already hit the ground next to her. He was off at a sprint before she was even standing, leaving her to trail behind.

Up ahead, she could see the figure still running, headed for the ground entrance of some nondescript skyscraper. Percy was hot on his trail, gaining ground quickly. The man turned around as he ran, reaching into his coat pocket with lightning speed. Before she even processed what was going on, the man had completely whirled on Percy and let off three shots. The first two were wildly off target, but the third hit its mark. She saw Percy clutch his shoulder, no doubt thanks to the bullet buried there.

Percy stumbled in his tracks for just a few steps, but that was all it took. The man had bought himself too much time. He made it to the skyscraper entrance, pounding some code into the front door before either of them could get there. The door swung open, giving way to what looked to be an obnoxiously lavish interior. They were almost there, but the man was able to squeeze in just before they made it, the door slamming shut behind him.

They slowly rolled to a stop, and she dropped her hands to her knees to catch her breath. Unlike her, Percy didn't seem exhausted, only frustrated. Blood was leaking from his shoulder, but he didn't seem to mind as he slammed a fist angrily into the pass-code locked door protecting their prey from them.

"Why didn't you shoot him." She huffed out, her chest heaving.

"Because I wanted him to lead us right back to his base, which he can't do if he's dead or bleeding out…" he muttered. "Plus, I didn't know he was going to shoot _me._"

Her eyes instantly went to his shoulder, reminded of his injury.

"Oh my god. You're shoulder!" she breathed out, body springing into action on instinct alone.

She moved to inspect it, hands approaching the wound tenderly, but he waved her off, grumbling something about how he'd had worse. As she backed up to give him space, something caught her eye over his shoulder. For the first time ever, she found herself grateful for the needlessly arrogant displays of wealth that marred this city's finer buildings. Slowly ascending the side of the building in an elevator made of glass was the exact man they'd just been chasing after, catching his breath in much the same way as she had just been doing.

"Percy, look." She said quickly, pointing up at the escaping man.

Percy spun in an instant, quickly taking in the sight before him. Without a second's thought, he unholstered his gun, aiming up at him. He let off shot after shot, leaving expanding cracks like spider webs in the obviously bullet proof glass as the elevator pulled away.

"What happened to not shooting him?" she asked over the muffled sound of silenced gunfire.

"He shot me." Percy said simply, his finger again squeezing the trigger.

He continued his firing, bullet after bullet whirring upwards. With each shot, the cracks in the glass stretched further, almost encompassing the entire elevator now. Before he could do something he'd regret she reached out, grabbing his hand and halting his firing. He turned on her, eyebrows raised in a mixture of frustration and confusion.

"What are you doing?" he asked slowly, sounding genuinely puzzled. His hand started to rise again easily, as if the downward pressure she was applying on his arm was insignificant to him.

"You can't just kill him." She protested. "We need him to take us to wherever Luke is."

Percy's eyes flicked up to the elevator still slowly meandering up the side of the building with its no doubt now cowering passenger.

"I don't know if you noticed, but he kind of already got away."

She frowned, realizing he had a point. She wracked her brain, searching for any way they could keep up the chase. If Annabeth were here, they'd have gotten in the locked door instantly. Unfortunately, they were down one significantly skilled hacker at the moment. Suddenly, an idea, although insane and frightening, sprang to mind.

"Our moon boots." She rushed out. "Do they go both ways?"

"How do you mean?" he inquired, lost with where this was headed.

"The gravity. On our first mission together, at the warehouse, you had us test the low gravity setting for Leo. Does that mean our boots have a higher gravity setting?" she hurried, nearly stumbling over her own words.

She wasn't even sure if they worked the way she was imagining or not. For all she knew, they actually increased or decreased the pull of gravity on you, which spoiled her plan. Hopefully they weren't so straight forward and functioned more as a repellent or attractor to the surface beneath them at the user's command. If it was the latter, her crack shot idea might work. A look of understanding dawned on Percy's face as she spoke. He seemed to be following her train of thought now, and wasn't shooting her down, which meant her hunch was right. They worked as she imagined, which meant her plan _could_ work.

"Hazel that's the most genius and batshit insane idea I've ever heard." He said excitedly, bending down to activate their boots. He stood up in a blur. "I fucking love it."

As soon as his finger hit her boot, she felt the change. It was like she was wearing cinderblocks, or she'd somehow traded her shoes with massive tree roots. Straining her muscles, she made to take her first step, fighting against the insane pull of the shoes with everything she had. She went to step onto the side of the building, but Percy halted her, digging around in one of his many pockets.

"Here," he said, handing her a pair of gloves. "You can't tell me you thought you could just walk up a building? The boots will stick, but the rest of your body will still get pulled downwards. You'll need these too so you're not just dangling."

He walked ahead of her, placing his hand against the glass. He tugged hard, and she could hear the stickiness of the gloves fighting against him. It was like the palms of each glove was covered in dried syrup. Each time he pulled with his injured shoulder, he let out a guttural groan, but he pushed on, climbing higher and faster as he worked himself into a rhythm. Tugging on her own gloves, careful to keep the sticky palms away from her, she started scaling the building behind him.

The climb was long and arduous, made difficult by the intense pull of her boots against the glass of the building and the relentless stickiness of her gloves. She wondered what Leo had initially made them for, but whatever the purpose, she was glad Percy had them on hand. Thanks to her idea, combined with the gloves, they were incrementally gaining ground on the slow-moving elevator. Luckily for them, whatever rich architect had designed the building must have thought it was important that the elevator gave the rider ample time to look down on the people below.

As the climb continued, she did her very best to ignore the crazy wind blowing around her. The higher they got, the harder their altitude became to ignore, and the more her heart started to flutter. She couldn't help herself, she looked down. The city was so far below, now just glittering dots of light from her view. How the rich enjoyed the sight, she didn't know, because all it did was make her panic.

She started to get dizzy. She hadn't noticed exactly how far she'd gotten until she looked down. Pressing her body against the glass, she locked in place, her nerves freezing her in position. Her body was wracked with heaving breaths as she hyperventilated, trapped hundreds of feet in the air, completely out of her element. Clenching her eyes shut, she did her best to fight off the fear in her sternum, all to no avail.

"Hazel!" Percy shouted down to her. She forced her eyes open, looking up to see him staring down at her. Somehow, over the rushing wind and the dangerous climb, he'd noticed her distress. It seems he always did.

"Kind of busy." She squeaked out, doing everything she could to hide the mortification in her voice. She hugged the wall tighter.

"Hazel." He said, his voice piercing through her thin façade like a knife. "It's alright to be scared. I understand. But it's not alright that we lose this _one chance_ to save everyone. To save your mother. But that's what's going to happen if you don't put your fear aside. If you don't keep climbing. We're almost there, you just need to keep climbing. Can you do that for me? For your mother?" His words were intense, but they didn't match the roaring passion of his eyes,

He was right. She had to do this. Swallowing her fear, she pushed her trepidation to the deepest recesses of her mind. She pulled one glove off, slamming it back into the glass almost instantly. A shuddering breath. Next a boot, a sharp pull, a moment of dangling in the air, and it was on glass again. She huffed out another breath. Her other glove this time. Then her other boot. She could do this. She would do this. They resumed the climb

Up ahead, only above them by about a dozen feet now, the elevator came to a stop, the dull ping alerting them. It had stopped right in line with one of the many bridges that connected the upper floors of the skyscrapers like some sort of superhighway. It glowed an iridescent rainbow, made of some strange and murky glass, and expanded across a huge swath of open sky. The doors pinged open, and from underneath the bridge she could make out the shadow of the man sprinting across with heavy footfalls.

A few more seconds and they were on the bridge with him, the chase resumed. He had a head start once again, but he was losing steam, and fast. The man seemed to notice their gaining on him, and he whirled around once more. This time though, he didn't aim for Percy or for her. His gun dropped, targeting the glass bridge between them. He unloaded bullet after bullet, each puncturing the glass with ease. All at once, the middle of the bridge shattered, opening up a gaping hole into the wind below. She came to a stop just before the gap, eyeing the man across the way.

He sent a smug sneer her way, gloating in his escape for a moment, before turning and running again. To her left, Percy was already pulling something from his pocket, cocking back his arm. In one swift motion, he brough his hand forward, launching some object towards the man. Her eyes tried to track it, but it was too small, and the night was too dark. Before she could ponder what it was though, she heard a crack under her feet. One glance down, and she realized what was happening.

"Percy. The bridge." She cried out, pointing under their feet. He glanced down, his face contorting in surprise.

"This is the part where we run, isn't it?"

She nodded furiously, the two of them taking off at a sprint back to the building they'd come from. Her legs burned as she ran faster than she ever had, pushing herself to her limit. In front of her, Percy was inadvertently pulling ahead, increasing the distance between them without even noticing. Behind her, she could hear the bridge slowly crumbling, pieces of glass dripping from the sky like drops of shrapnel rain. The worst part, the sound was getting closer, and she still had too far to go.

"Percy!" she cried out, drawing his attention as she ran.

He was already to safety, but her voice hit him like a truck. He turned quickly, seeing how close the quickly disappearing edge of the bridge was. It was hot on her heels now, licking at her boots like the tongue of a flame. She was almost there, just a few more feet, and for a second there was hope. That was when the glass broke.

Feet dangling over open air. A moment of free fall. Her own scream. Gravity pulling her into its embrace. All that she felt in the span of less than a second. Then, there was the sound of a chest hitting glass. A hand gripping hers. A powerful yank on her shoulder as her fall was stopped before it truly began. One glance up and she saw Percy, face contorted in pain.

"I got you." He groaned out, his face in a tight grimace.

She couldn't find her voice. Instead, she managed a light squeak, reaching with her other hand to grip his forearm, eyes shut tight. Her feet kicked wildly in open air, searching for purchase, but all they found was empty wind.

A drop of liquid landed on her face as she dangled. Then another. And another. Was it raining? She peeked open a single eye, the sight of a wounded shoulder dripping crimson directly overhead. It wasn't rain cascading down on her. It was the blood of the only thing keeping her from falling.

"Percy your shoulder! You can't pull me up. You have to let me go." She sobbed, tears bursting to join the blood on her cheeks. He shook his head vehemently at her.

"Bullshit." He hissed out through gritted teeth. And that's when he started to pull.

She heard his yell of pain. Saw the veins in his forehead bulge. Saw the sweat dripping down his face as he pulled with all his might. Slowly, she started to rise. A hair's width, then centimeters, then inches at a time she was brought closer. Determination on his features, he fought against his pain, willing her upwards.

With one last surge, she was over the edge, tumbling onto the last of the steady glass with him. Wasting no time, she scrambled over to him, wrapping him in a hug before he could even think. She sobbed heavily into his shoulder, pouring her relief and gratitude into the hug. Not even just for saving her life. For him caring enough to go through so much to do it.

"I told you…" he breathed out, his chest heaving. "We're saving everyone. You and me. You're not allowed to die until we're done."

She felt herself laugh into his shoulder. A wet laugh that was drowned in her own tears; a laugh as hollow as a pumpkin in late October. Maybe she was delirious, maybe her nerves were so fried from her near fall she couldn't separate laughter from fear. Either way, she wasn't okay, not by a long shot, and she knew Percy could tell. One of his hands rubbed her back soothingly, somewhat easing her still racing heart.

"How?" she croaked out; voice hoarse. "How can we stop them now? He got away, and now we have nothing." Percy rolled his eyes, like the question was silly.

"I threw a tracker at him." Percy said with a small smile. "He'll take us right to where we need to be." Her brain flashed back to just before the breaking bridge. His arm cocked back. The thrown object she hadn't been able to follow.

"Are you sure you hit him?"

"Remember what I told Jason at the shipyard?" he said, eyebrows raised.

She shook her head. Percy's eyes twinkled as he dug around in his coat. He pulled out a small black box, a bright screen illuminating his face in the darkness. Turning it slowly towards her, she saw it was a map of the city. Slowly moving through the streets was a beeping red dot, flickering like a lightning bug on a summer's night.

"Remember. I never miss."

* * *

**XxXxX**

"That should do it." She said, sealing the last stich in his shoulder.

Percy rubbed his arm, giving it a few test swings. He nodded, seemingly finding her work satisfactory. With a grunt, he tugged his shirt back over his head, once again hiding his torso from the cool night air.

"I knew having Will teach you some battlefield medicine would come in handy." Percy chirped, rising from his spot on the ground.

"Yeah, well, I don't see why you couldn't just use some nectar." She commented drily, pouring a bottle of water on her hands to clean off his blood. There was a lot of it, and it was uncomfortably warm and sticky on her bare skin.

"Hazel, you and I both know how rare that stuff is. It's for emergencies only. Besides, you did a good job." He said, patting his shoulder emphatically. "I'm ready to get back into action."

Turning around, he stepped onto a box beneath a window. A window that went right into where they'd tracked the man. A window that had all the answers hidden behind it. She wanted to know what was on the other side as badly as he did, but she knew going alone was risky. Almost too much so.

"Are you sure we shouldn't be waiting for backup?" Hazel questioned carefully, eyes on Percy as he fiddled with the window above.

"Absolutely." He said cheerfully, shaking a can violently in his hand. "We're not storming the castle. We're just… Doing recon. It'll be fine."

A push of his finger and the can unleashed a torrent of freezing air, hissing against the lock as it made contact. Faster than water in the arctic the metal froze. With one quick strike from the butt of the can, the lock shattered. Percy pumped his fist in celebration before slowly pushing the pane of glass open. It gave a shrill shriek, the hinges groaning in protest of their first use in what must have been ages.

"Relax, Hazel." He said, turning back to look at her one last time. "What could go wrong?"

And with that, he pulled himself through, disappearing in a flash. She waited a few seconds, expecting an alarm, a scream, the sound of gunshots, something to come from the other side. The chaos never came though. It was quiet. Disturbingly so.

"Are you coming? Or are you going to wait outside?" Percy said from within, breaking the silence. His voice was muffled as it passed through the only slightly cracked window.

Seeing no other option, she hopped onto the box, reaching for the windowsill. She was much shorter than Percy, so she wasn't able to see in. She was going in blind. She jumped and grabbed the bottom of the window frame, pulling herself up with a grunt. She wasn't as graceful or acrobatic as Percy, so when she fell through the other side, she landed in a grumbling heap. The metal floor was chillingly cool beneath her fingers as she went to push herself to her feet.

"A nice jump, but you didn't really stick the landing. I don't think the judges are going to like that one." Percy joked, extending a hand to help her up.

"Oh, shut up." She mumbled, accepting his help anyways. He hefted her to her feet like she was made of paper.

As she was rising from the floor, she took in her surroundings. They were in a metal hallway, dimly lit by blue lights on the wall that traced some intricate pattern her mind couldn't follow. On either end of the hallway, cold black steel doors stood intimidatingly in their path. The room made her feel like a sardine in a can.

"Which way? You can pick." Percy chirped, interrupting her dark thoughts.

She wondered how he could be so callous about infiltrating this base without backup. Then again, she doubted they had the necessary firepower to storm this place even _with_ everyone they had. Even from outside, the building was enormous. Whatever Percy was looking for, it would take time to find. Maybe he was right. Maybe subtly was their best option.

"That way I guess." She said, pointing towards the further door. Something in her gut said that was the way to go, and Percy told her to always trust her gut.

Percy nodded, leading the way. Although his demeanor seemed casual, she could see through it. His pistol was drawn, although at his side, and his eyes were steely. His jaw was tightly clenched, and a vein was protruding on his neck. He may be giving off an air of nonchalance, but she could tell he was ready for a fight at a moment notice.

The door opened for them when they reached it, sliding into the floor with a low hiss. Even though it was clearly automated with motion sensors for convenience, the movement filled her sense of dread. It made her feel like she was being watched. Like the building itself had eyes, and all of them were on her.

"Up or down?" she asked slowly, taking in the sight of the stairwell hidden behind the door.

"Down." Percy said without hesitation. He must have noticed her surprised look, so he elaborated. "Bad guys always keep their evil secrets hidden away in the basement. Don't you watch any movies?"

Not knowing how to argue with that reasoning, she merely shrugged in compliance. They descended for a long while, going deeper and deeper into the bowels of the building. The staircase seemed less like stairs and more like a plummet into a dark abyss with each step, sending an eerie chill through her bones. If Percy felt the same thing though, he wasn't showing it.

When they finally reached the bottom, they were met with another steel door. Like the first, it slid open on its own, inviting them into the room like some sort of mechanical butler. Percy stepped through first. His next words beckoning for her to follow him inside.

"I told you." He breathed out. "Evil secrets are _always_ hidden in the basement."

Her mind struggled to process what she was seeing. It was a lab of some sort, with a vaulted ceiling. The entire room was a cold black metal, dimly lit by faint fluorescent lights from the rafters high above. Most of the light though came from the edges of the room. Lining each and every wall were massive tanks, large enough to hold a person, glowing with some strange blue liquid on the inside that cast a blue hue over everything in sight.

In the center of the room, there were a few surgical tables, with straps to hold down any 'patient' that found themselves there. Drills, surgical tools, and blood were scattered haphazardly across the tables, showing signs of recent use. The tanks may have been empty, and the tables clear of humans, but it was extremely clear this lab hadn't been abandoned for very long.

"What is this place?" Hazel managed to get out, stepping further into the room.

Percy joined her, his footsteps heavy on the ground, a first for him. His face was contorted in pain, his hands clutching his temples. He took a few wobbly steps as he groaned in displeasure, scowling as if he was being force fed a spoon of something unpleasant.

"Are you alright?" she said hurriedly, rushing to his side. He waved her off, bracing himself against a desk.

"Yeah I'm fine. Just a…" he paused, wincing for a moment. He pinched the bridge of his nose, locked in combat with the pain that was assaulting his mind. "Just a headache. We should… We should figure out what was going on here."

She nodded her agreement, moving to examine the room. She glided quickly passed the surgery tables; afraid she'd throw up if she looked at them. Imagining her mom strapped down to one of those as she faced a spinning sawblade or twirling drill wasn't at the top of her bucket list. Instead, she made her way to the walls. She rubbed her finger along the base of one of the many tanks, pulling it away to find no dust. Another sign of this lab's recent use. Her eyes trailed up the wall, eyeing the tanks themselves, along with the strange liquid inside.

It was a strange cobalt blue, speckled with little flecks of white like twinkling diamonds. Upon closer inspection, she noticed a little tube on the inside. At the end? A breathing mask, like a scuba diver would wear. Her initial guess had been right. They'd been keeping _people_ in there. The only question was why.

"Percy, I think they were keeping people in these things." She called out to him, voicing her discovery with horror.

"I know." He said, his voice carrying over to her in the quiet. He sounded pained and sad. Disturbedly so. She turned to find him, being met with his form, shoulders hunched, his face bent over a computer screen. His eyes were crunched in confusion, and his face was contorted in horror. She rushed over to him, squeezing into his side to get a look at what he was reading. It only took a few seconds before her face matched his.

At the top of the page, in bright bold letters, the phrase '_Project Genesis' _was traced out in a liquid gold font. Below it, pictures of the lab they were sitting in decorated the page, only in the images there was actually personnel in the lab. They were all dressed in biohazard suits, masks covering their faces. No one was milling about; everyone was hard at work with whatever sinister project they'd been assigned.

Even worse than that, lining the walls she could see people in the tanks, their eyes closed, and their faces still. It was probably just a result of the frozen images, but they all looked dead. Their faces were pale, and they looked at peace. They couldn't be dead, could they? They wouldn't be keeping dead people for study, would they? And if they only wanted living subjects, where was everyone now?

As Percy scrolled further, they were met with more images, and then a massive wall of text. The font was small, and he was scrolling too fast to read it all in one go, but one word kept drawing her attention. It was everywhere she looked. Genesis.

"What the hell is project Genesis." Percy said beside her, eyes still following the screen.

She didn't have an answer for him. She was as entranced as he was, her golden orbs flickering across the screen much like his. There were endless pages of information. Too much to take in all at once, even if they had the time. It was a train wreck she couldn't look away from. That was until she heard the voice behind her, deep and cold.

"Funny that you of all people would be asking that question, _brother._"

* * *

**XxXxX**

**AN:**

**How the hell is that for a cliff hanger? Things are only going to get more mysterious before they get clearer in this story. Next chapter, you'll have some questions answered, as always, but similarly more will be raised. Hopefully you guys enjoy that, because I'm having fun dangling the truth in front of you like this. Now, I know one question you're probably asking is "Really Percy, sneaking into the bad guys secret evil base with no backup, really?" and the answer is yes. Really. This whole time, Percy has been reckless and impatient, even with Hazel to reign him in a bit, and this was always going to come back to bite him eventually. Now, once again, sorry for the wait, I did my best to get this out as soon as possible, but getting it just right took some time, as it sometimes does. As always, please review and tell me how I did, I love the feedback. Anyways, until next time,**

**Peace**


	7. Chapter 6

**AN:**

**I really like this chapter. Like a lot. It's kind of dark, but really good, I think. Now I know I kept you guys waiting so go ahead and read on, I'll catch you at the end. Here's chapter 6 of "All That's Left"**

* * *

**XxXxX**

"Funny that you of all people would be asking that question, _brother._"

By the time Hazel turned around, Percy had already drawn his pistol, aiming it at their surprise guest. To the man's credit, he didn't seem fazed in the slightest staring down death itself. His cold blue eyes were narrowed in challenge, and a vicious pale scar stood ugly yet proud on his face. His mouth was upturned in a sneer, seemingly amused by the notion that Percy would even consider shooting him.

The new arrival gave off a strange aura, even from across the room. He looked ordinary enough despite his maniacal grin, but something about him just seemed off. There was a weird force clinging to him, a vibe that screamed 'I'm not quite all there'. It was markedly unnerving to say the least. Just the chill that he sent racing through her veins was evidence enough to confirm her suspicions. She didn't need anyone to spell it out for her, she knew _exactly _who this was.

"You're Luke Castellan, aren't you?" Hazel spoke confidently. It wasn't a question in the slightest.

He smiled a cheshire cat smile, his teeth columns of marble glinting in the dim light. Heavy bootsteps reverberated through the empty lab as he took a few steps closer. Each footfall was slow and methodical, his gait uncannily even and smooth. Everything about him was so uniform. So sculpted. He seemed almost… Robotic.

"Not a single step closer." Percy warned, pulling back on the hammer of his pistol. The soft click was vividly audible in the quiet room.

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it." Luke grinned, raising his hands in mock surrender as he came to a halt. "I'm not here for a fight. I just came to see who had taken such an interest in my work, only to find _you_ of all people. Scurrying through my basement like a lowly _rat_."

His words started friendly enough, but quickly devolved into a snarl as he spoke. He was almost foaming at the mouth, face red as he addressed the two intruders. Hazel blinked. It shouldn't have come as a shock to her that the man running the secret human testing lab was going to be mentally unstable.

"Yeah, some operation you've got going on down here." Percy commented drily. "Just what the _hell_ is going on here? Where the _fuck_ is everyone? And what in god's name is project Genesis?"

Luke laughed at his words. It was a low and guttural sound, one that grated against Hazel's ears.

"So, it's true then?" Luke said, sobering up quickly. His voice seemed filled with wonder now. "You truly don't remember? You see Percy, you and me, we were the start of all of this. Before anything else, before anyone else, _we_ are project Genesis."

Hazel's eyes flickered from Luke's face to Percy's, searching her friend's features for any reaction. All she saw there was confusion and pain. No recollection, no sudden realization, no sign he had any idea what this madman was on about. All she found was pure unfettered bewilderment at what he was hearing.

"There is no _we._" Percy protested. "I'm not your brother. I don't even know you. You're just some sick fuck who's been kidnapping innocent people."

"Nobody is innocent!" Luke shouted, his voice a thunderclap through the calm room. "Everyone is criminal. Unjust. Impure. They all require cleansing. You believed that once. Come home Percy, you can believe it again. You can be… _Re-enlightened._"

"Percy…" Hazel said nervously, golden eyes dancing over his face.

Her friend looked far from convinced by Luke's words, but his eyes radiated pain. He seemed at war with himself, wrestling with his own mind. It was as if his brain was attacking him from within, and it was causing his eyes to glaze over. He may not remember whatever Luke was hoping he would, but it was having a very dangerous effect nonetheless. Percy was losing focus.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Percy muttered, pressing his off hand to his temple. His voice was wobbly. He sounded unsure of just about anything at this point. "But I know that I'm going to stop whatever you're planning, save everyone you've taken, and then when I'm all finished, I'm putting you in the ground."

"That's the thing Percy. You can't stop me." Luke said cheerfully, apparently unthreatened. "You don't even know what it is you're trying to stop! You don't even realize the magnitude of what you face! You don't even know _who you are_! You're a soldier with no war. A dog with no leash. A boat with no sail. You have no direction! You're scrambling and flailing for purchase, dragging yourself and your friend here to damnation in your endless pursuit of something you've never truly known. But you won't find it, will you? Instead, all you're going to find is the truth."

"Which is?" Hazel questioned, trying to squeeze _something_ out of the raving lunatic.

"That he's no different than me. He and I are cut from the same cloth. Forever linked. We're the first of many. The backbone of the very project Genesis you want so desperately to stop. And the best part is? He doesn't even realize it."

"You don't know me." Percy hissed; his knuckles white around his gun. Luke laughed; a full belly guffaw directed right at Percy.

"Maybe so..." Luke finally responded. "But I do know one thing for certain. If you keep interfering with my operations, you'll soon be no different than Sally Jackson."

Hazel stiffened. She knew for certain that mentioning Sally Jackson was something only done lightly around Percy, and it seemed Luke knew it too. His smile was broad and maniacal, reveling in the lavish delight he was taking in taunting her friend. It was clear he was trying to goad a response, and one glance told her it had worked.

Stiff posture, a vein extruding from his neck, and eyes flaming with anger, it was Percy had heard enough. He completely lost control. His face bubbled over in rage, and his finger constricted around the cold trigger of his gun. With a scream, he unleashed a flurry of gunfire, not even hesitating to ponder the repercussions of killing their biggest lead. The bullets crackled from his pistol, whizzing towards Luke with the promise of death written on each shell casing.

Across the room, the bullets almost reached the sandy haired man, but were stopped dead in their tracks. They took turns bouncing off some invisible wall as if it were a divine shield. Each time the bullet neared Luke, a shockwave of blue would erupt in the air like ripples in a puddle, warding off the projectiles. The pointed metal dropped harmlessly to the ground, ringing as gently as sleigh bells. Behind his shield, Luke frowned, a displeased glint in his eyes.

"What the?" Percy breathed out; eyes trained on the barrel of his own gun. His eyes were furrowed in confusion.

"An unwise decision." Luke muttered, shaking his head as he started pacing back and forth behind his incorporeal wall. "You know, I was going to let you go. The idea of watching you desperately scramble to figure things out, to figure _me_ out, to figure out what my plan was? It was too amusing to pass up. But now? I can't let your unchecked aggression go unpunished."

His pacing stopped. His back was to them, but even from afar his muscles were clearly tensed, ready for action. The hairs on the back of Hazel's neck stood up, all pointing away from the man across the room. The far wall seemed to have a gravitational pull of its own, yelling 'Get away now!' as she waited for whatever came next.

"Percy, I don't really like where this is going." Hazel murmured, taking a few subtle steps back.

Percy opened his mouth to respond, but he was cut off by a flicker of motion. Faster than the eye could follow, Luke drew a gun of his own, seemingly drawing it from thin air. They sprang into action, but there wasn't time to get behind cover. There was a bright muzzle flash and then the sound of a loud bang. The trademark whistle of a bullet slicing through the air permeated the room, and then silence.

In slow motion, she turned to her left, hoping with all of her that Percy wasn't hit. Relief washed over her when she saw he was fine. That was until she saw the look on his face. He was screaming, face raw with emotion, and now that she could see it, she could hear him too. He sounded muffled and quiet, like he was yelling at her from an island while she was out at sea. Why was he so far away?

Her legs crumpled underneath her. She tumbled to the ground, collapsing into a heap. Why was she so weak? She took a breath. The air came in slow and heavy, as if she was breathing in porridge. Why was it so hard to breathe?

"You have two options. Chase after me or clean up my mess." She heard someone say. It had to be Luke, right? His voice was garbled, almost as if she was hearing it through a cup on a string, all with her head ducked under water. It was a strange sensation.

In another moment, she felt someone at her side. Was it Percy? Her vision was too blurry to make him out. Why couldn't she see? Why was he with her? Why wasn't he going after Luke?

She blinked and blinked and focused until she couldn't anymore, fighting against the fugue state that had suddenly befallen her. Her vision started to clear, and she saw Percy's face looming over hers. His eyes were wet. Why were his eyes wet?

Her chest was starting to hurt. Why did her chest hurt? Why did her chest feel wet now too? She felt like she was drowning. Her vision was fading. Everything sounded so quiet now. The world was the water's surface, and Percy's face was the sun slowly disappearing as she sunk into the murky depths.

She felt a sharp pain in her chest, right where her heart should be, then she heard another throaty scream. Was that her name? Why was he yelling her name? Then the yelling stopped, and she missed it. It was so quiet. And now it was so dark. Where did he go? Where did anything go? Why was the world so dark? Why was the world so dark? Why was the world so…?

* * *

**XxXxX**

Darkness. Complete and utter black. It was an odd feeling, waking up and not seeing. Every day of everybody's life, every time someone returns from the realm of unconsciousness, they start by opening their eyes. It was just the way of things. Not this time.

Silence. There was always something. Some noise. Even in the quietest library, the most abandoned building, the most remote forest, there was a sound. Even in silence there was noise, a piercing ringing in your ears. It had never before been so muffled. There had never been such an isolating silence. Not until this time.

Numbness. A complete lack of control, of sensation, of feeling. The average man takes for granted how blessed he is to feel. To touch. To taste the kiss of the air on his skin. To relish in the sensation of blood running through his veins. It's hard to miss the ability to feel, it was always there after all. Not this time.

This lonely damnation was the prison Hazel found herself in when she woke up. She had no sensations, no senses, no form. There was nothing. She felt like a consciousness floating through space. Nothing was tangible. She was just a presence gliding across an empty void. A stream of thoughts attached to nothingness. A picture on the wall observing the passage of time. It was terrifying to say the least, and lasted for what seemed like an eternity.

The first thing that came to her was a smell. It was faint, but there. A notable improvement to the abysmal nothingness of just moments ago. Her mind pulled at the smell, tugging it to her ravenously. It was subtle, but it smelled like… Like air. Like clean air and cotton balls and too many cleaning supplies. She bathed in it, absorbing the sensation, able to relish in _something_, for the first time since her awakening.

Her hearing returned next. It faded back with a sharp beep, punctuated by another moment of agonizing silence, before another beep took its place. The periodic beeping filled her mind. She counted each and every beep, each one following the previous like clockwork. The noise drilled into her consciousness, but it didn't matter. It was _noise_.

After the hearing, the numbness faded. For a moment, she almost exploded with joy, but then she started to truly feel. She could feel everything. The bed beneath her, the air on her skin, the tube in her nose. Worse, she could feel every groaning pain in her body, and there were plenty, but she couldn't do anything. Her chest in particular was engulfed in white hot flames of excruciation. She wanted to curl up in a ball and hide from the sensations that were plaguing her so recently numb body, but that was the other problem. She could _feel_, but she couldn't _move_.

She tried to open her eyes, but even that was impossible. Confusedly, she wondered if someone had replaced her eyelids with anvils. Her entire body seemed to be filled with lead. She'd escaped her isolation in the endless abyss only to find herself somewhere equally painful and imprisoning. The world was so tantalizingly close now, but she couldn't open her eyes and see it. She couldn't spread her arms and embrace her return to the land of the living.

She could feel her heart pounding in her ribs as her stress rose. The beat was getting faster. More violent. A tribal drumbeat echoing through the valley of her chest. Distantly, the methodic beeping that had become her background noise picked up its own pace, racing closely with her heartrate as it climbed in frequency. The beeping must have garnered attention, because she felt the bed dip beside her. Carefully, a large calloused hand swallowed hers, clutching it gently like an injured bird.

"Will, I think she's waking up." She heard a voice say. She knew that voice. Where did she know that voice?

The dip in the bed disappeared, and the hand around hers with it. Her fingers fell limply back to the bedsheets. A new pair of hands, different than the first, ghosted over her palm for a moment, before fading away. In the span of a second, she felt the same fingers lower softly onto her eye. They rested there for a moment before they started to pull, and then like a switch was flipped she saw the light.

It was blinding. A single point of light on the horizon resembling a distant star had quickly transformed into a blaring headlight aimed straight for her retinas. Her eyes seared, watering under the intense brightness. She had to get away, had to hide from the intense light. She forced her eyes shut. It hit her faster than a speeding bullet. _She_ forced her eyes shut. She moved them. She _moved_.

"Yeah, she's definitely waking up." Came a second voice.

This voice was different from the first. Light, airy, smooth, nothing like the deep voice she'd heard before. It was a singer's voice through and through. One you'd hear on the radio or blasting from the speakers as you sang along in the shower.

"Hazel." The first voice was back again. "Hazel open your eyes. Talk. Something. Let us know you're there."

He was pleading. Desperate for her to respond. By now, she'd recognized the voice. It was the voice that had been in her ear for months now. Chirping guidance, humor, and camaraderie into her every waking moment. But now all she heard was hope. Hope that she'd open her eyes, that she'd speak, that she'd come back.

She tried. She truly did. She struggled with all her might to speak, to open her eyes, to twitch a finger, but it was just as difficult as it had been before. Pushing with everything she could, exerting her will on her own lungs, she was finally able to manage a few words, her lips fighting against her with the desperation of a pack of starving wolves.

"I'm awake." She slurred out. Or at least she meant to. The sound that came out was nothing like her own voice. It was barely intelligible, and came out in a hoarse croak, as if she'd been living off of cigarette smoke and tobacco for years.

"You're almost there Hazel, come on. Try again." The voice encouraged, closer now. The voice was excited now. She could hear the smile in it.

Hazel gathered herself. With all the effort she could muster, she forced her eyes to open, fighting against her own weighted eyelids, and like that she was back. She had to squint so her eyes could adjust, but after a few moments they fluttered open for good. Swirling pools of gold finally returning to the light.

A maelstrom of green peered back at her, alight with relief, but buried deep in the sunken sockets of a tired man. His eyes were heavy and ringed, his hair disheveled. His face was unshaved and unkempt as if he hadn't bothered to move in days. Honestly, he looked pretty similar to the overweight racoon that had spoiled their last mission. Despite all this, he was smiling, a full-blown crystal white grin from ear to ear.

"I'm awake." She choked out more clearly. Her voice was still dry and weak, a whisper on her lips, but it was there.

If possible, the smile sparkling in her vision broadened. His head dipped infinitesimally, a small nod of agreement.

"You're awake."

* * *

**XxXxX**

Hazel hadn't wanted to sleep, but Will had insisted she get some rest only a few hours after she woke up. At first she had protested, because what sane person would want to sleep after waking up from a weeklong coma, but resistance had been pointless. After just a few hours, and the most barebones explanation of what had happened, she'd found herself profoundly tired. Despite her best efforts, she had once again visited the realm of the unconscious.

Now though, finally rested, her eyes fluttered open. Golden orbs drank in the world around her with gluttony. It was dark in the medical room, and eerily quiet. The only thing she could hear was her heartrate monitor beeping uniformly beside her and the slow exhalation of her shallow breathing.

As her eyes continued their journey around the small room, she took scope of her own being. She still felt weak, but her pain was gone, muffled by the powerful pain killers Will had given her. Now, the only thing she cared about was enjoying being able to see again. That was until something in the corner of the room caught her gaze.

It was a blotted and organic shape, unlike the rigid and uniform edges of the rest of the room. Perhaps it was a trick of the light, or some strange shadow, but it looked dangerously like a human lingering in the darkness. Her eyes slowly trailed up its form, stopping just before the shadow ended, coming into contact with two beacons of sea green shining through the darkness. Curiosity bubbled in her stomach.

"Percy?" she questioned, calling out into the dark. Her voice was still weak and raspy, but she knew he would hear her.

A muffled curse came from the corner, followed by a slow shuffling from the shadow. It ghosted across the room, halting near the exit. Overhead, the bright LEDs flickered on, casting a vibrant white light throughout the entire room. It took her a moment for her eyes to adjust to the new light, but after they did her suspicions confirmed. Standing near the doorway was Percy Jackson, freshly shaven, with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder.

"Going somewhere?" she intoned, nodding minutely towards the bag across his back. A bad feeling brewed in her chest as she took in the sight of him.

"I uh..." Percy muttered, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah."

Her eyebrows furrowed in suspicion. Percy was never this nervous, especially around her. He usually radiated confidence and bravado, but now he was closer to a kid who'd gotten caught with his hand in a cookie jar than he was to his usual self.

"Mind sharing with the class?" Hazel asked, arching a dainty eyebrow. She could tell he wasn't going to elaborate further, so she chose to force the conversation forward herself.

"You're not supposed to be awake." He scolded. "I didn't mean to wake you; you need your rest. I just wanted to check on you one more time before I go…" he patted his legs awkwardly as he trailed off.

"Go where?" she said after a few moments, biting her lower lip. She was afraid of the answer.

"Away." Was all she got in response.

"Why?"

Her voice quivered. For months now, the two of them had been inseparable, and now he was leaving? When she'd just woken up from a coma? And where was he going? He couldn't leave. It wasn't fair. She needed her best friend, her mentor, her brother, now more than ever.

Percy sighed, unslinging his bag from his shoulder. Slow bootsteps carried him to her bedside. He gently placed himself on the foot of her bed, idly drumming his hands against the sheets as he gathered his thoughts. After a while he spoke, his voice gentle and his tone guarded.

"Jason's orders. He let me stay until you woke up as a favor, because he knew I wouldn't leave your side until I knew you were okay… But you're okay now so… It's time for me to-"

"What!" she interrupted. "He can't kick you out! And why the hell would he?"

Percy held up a hand to appease her. Reluctantly, she cut off her own tirade, leaning back into her pillows. He gave her a grateful smile before continuing.

"Because Hazel. I've done plenty of things I should've been booted for anyways, and he's still done everything to convince some of the more skeptical people around here that keeping me around is a good idea. He can't justify letting me stay anymore. Not after what happened to you. I'm too dangerous to everyone here."

"That's not fair!" Hazel protested, her chest exploding in pain as her voice rose.

"It is fair, Hazel." He argued, his voice steady and unwavering. "If it wasn't, I would be fighting his decision. As you can see, I'm not fighting. For too long I've let my own recklessness put myself and others in danger. Usually, it all turns out okay in the end. I'm able to pull something miraculous together, save the day, and despite the danger we all go home happy. Sometimes I end up banged up pretty badly, but it's okay because I put myself in that position so that others wouldn't have to. But what happened to you… I can't forgive myself for that. I shouldn't be here."

Her eyes traced the outline of his profile as he spoke. He was looking at the ground, gaze averted, but his posture said it all. It was apologetic, filled with remorse, and most of all, ashamed.

"Percy…" she paused. "Percy you can't blame yourself for what happened. I played just as much a part of what happened as you did."

He laughed, but it was entirely humorless.

"That's not true and you know it." He said bitterly. "You tried to talk me out of going in there without any help, but I was insistent. You and I both know that there wasn't a chance you would've done that if anyone but me had asked. But I did. You and I are more family than anyone else in this entire little organization we have, you'd do anything I asked you, and I you, and I took advantage of that. And now…"

He trailed off, waving his arm wearily at all the medical equipment still attached to her. The IVs, the breathing tube in her nose, the heartrate monitor still timing her life as it pumped through her veins, the bandages still wrapped around her chest, all serving as a reminder of what had happened.

"It wasn't that bad. I'm fine, see?" she argued, waving an arm vehemently in protest, doing her best to hide the pain that came with it. "Maybe it was more your fault than mine, but that's okay. I forgive you. Case closed. You can stay."

He smiled at her apologetically, like he knew how much this was breaking her heart. Maybe it was doing the same to him. If the look in his eyes told the truth, it was.

"Not this time. It's not that simple." He said softly. "I can't trust myself around anyone down here. If my recklessness actually get's someone killed, I couldn't live with myself. Hell, it almost got you killed. It was so close… Too damn close… I thought I lost you forever. My partner. My best friend… My little sister. My family. I thought you were gone, Hazel."

Moisture dripped down her face, a trail of sadness glittering as it rolled over her cheeks.

"It wasn't that bad." She protested once again, weaker this time.

Her voice came out a fragile sob. She knew this was a losing battle. He had the same look of determination on his face that he did when they'd first entered Luke's base. His mind was already made up.

"It was." He solemnly replied. "The bullet went clean through your heart. There was so much blood. So so much. I've killed more people than I could ever hope to count, and I've never seen so much blood in one place before. From one person before. I swear I saw your life leak out of you half a dozen times. The fact that we're having this conversation right now is a miracle."

"I… How…?" she stuttered, unable to believe she had survived such a grievous wound.

"Three shots of nectar. Back to back. Right to the heart." He explained, his voice filled with a dark laughter. "I was _that_ desperate to save you. Thank god it worked just enough that I could get you to Will. It was touch and go, but once you were here, I knew you would pull through."

Her jaw dropped at his story. Three shots of nectar? As far as she knew, more than one syringe was dangerous territory. The nectar worked by temporarily increasing your cell division, allowing your body to heal faster, but too much would lead to too much growth, basically giving the recipient cancer that matured to fatal stages in minutes. To survive two shots was considered absurdly lucky. To survive three? That was unheard of. She had a better chance of winning the lottery three times in a row. He was right. The fact that she was there right now _was_ a miracle.

"That's…" she couldn't find the words to accurately convey her disbelief.

"Impossible. I know." He agreed, smiling this time. "But I'm glad it worked. Because now I can leave, knowing that no matter what mistakes I've made, at least you're still here. Safe."

His words reminded her of what was coming so soon. He was really leaving.

"You can't go…" she argued feebly.

"I have to." He said simply. "If not because Jason said so, then because I said so. I need this Hazel."

"And what if I need you?"

"You and I both know that's not true." He scolded. "Months ago, maybe, but now? I've been working with you for months. It may not seem like it, but you've learned so much. I promise you can handle whatever Jason throws at you."

"That's not what I meant." She whispered, tears once again nipping at her eyes.

"Yeah… I know." He acknowledged, his tone apologetic. "But I believe you'll be able to manage without me. I believed in you when I first brought you here Hazel, and I believe in you now."

He reached out a hand, resting it so lightly on her shoulder, it almost wasn't there. He gave it a tiny comforting squeeze, rising from the bed as he did so. She bit her lip, willingly letting more tears fall. In his eyes, she swore she could see the start of moisture beginning to form.

"Where will you go?" her voice was raspy and pained.

"I'm not exactly sure." He said with a grimace. "But Luke said some things that I'm not positive I understand. And I still don't know why my mother and I don't have any record of existence. Those are questions I need to answer. So, I guess that's where I'll be. Searching for the truth, no matter what it is."

She smiled a watery smile, gold meeting sea green for what might be the last time.

"Well then I hope you find what you're looking for." She choked out.

Percy smiled forlornly, a single tear tracing down his own face. He bent down slowly, wrapping her in a warm and gentle hug, careful not to hurt her, but firm enough to convey his emotion in a way words could not.

"I will." He said, pulling away from the embrace. "And when I do, you'll be the first to know."

He ruffled her hair affectionately, backing away from the bed. Lips pressed together sadly, he began walking towards the door, hefting his duffel bag over his shoulder once again. As he passed by, he flicked off the lights, once again shrouding her in darkness. He slowly pulled the door shut as he crept out, the handle quietly clicking into place deafening in the emptiness of the room, and like that, he was gone.

She tried not to cry any more than she already had, but it was pointless. Just like that, Percy was really gone; she could feel it in her bones. For the first time since he had found her, she felt just as she had when her mother had disappeared. More than even in her isolating coma, she felt truly, utterly, undeniably alone.

**XxXxX**

* * *

**AN:**

**Ouchie, this one kinda stings. Kind of a total bummer of a chapter, sorry to do that to all of you, but it had to be done. I'll be honest, I hate splitting up Hazel and Percy like this. Hazel relies on Percy so much for guidance and for being a friend, and Percy relies on Hazel so much to keep him somewhat grounded. The two of them need each other, even if Percy doesn't want to acknowledge that right now. They'll be back together to take down Luke soon, I promise, but Percy has some demons he needs to fight first. As mentioned in the story, he does crazy shit all the time, and it puts people in danger sure, but usually he's the one who gets hurt. Now though, with someone nearly dying because of him, and it being Hazel of all people, he's hurting, big time. He needs to work through that, plus there are crazy questions revolving around him right now. All in all, things are wonky as hell, and this chapter is trying to show how dark and desperate times are. After all, this story is supposed to be pretty bleak. Anyways, I'm sorry you had to wait, but I hope you enjoyed it. Be sure to let me know with a review, and until next time,**

**Peace**


	8. Chapter 7

**AN:**

Hey guys, guess who's back. That's right. Me. And not just me either, I've brought a chapter with. Here it is, chapter 7 of "All That's Left"

* * *

**XxXxX**

It was a week before Will cleared Hazel to return to action. A week of painstaking rehab. A week of sitting in a bed waiting. Waiting and hoping that it was all some bad dream. Hoping that she'd imagined all of it and any second now she'd wake up and things would be normal again. Hoping that Percy would walk through the door, tell her it was all some twisted joke, and she needed to be ready for some dangerous mission or another right away, just like he always did. Instead, every morning she'd been met with the same crippling realization. He was gone, and things were worse than they'd ever been.

As much as many of the people in their little organization had wanted Percy gone, everyone knew what his leaving had cost them. He was their best operative, and the one who usually took on the most dangerous assignments. Without him, the workload was becoming almost too much to bear, and some of the more dangerous missions were being disregarded entirely. She assumed that was why only a week after waking up she found herself in Jason's office, preparing for a mission briefing she probably had no business partaking in considering her current health. Things were just that desperate around here.

Jason's office was more filled than she'd ever seen it when she arrived. Normally, it was just her and Percy in the cushy chairs, weathering the storm as Jason berated them for some wild thing Percy had done. This time around, it was stuffed to the brim with people, Clarisse La Rue, Travis Stoll, Annabeth Chase, Will Solace, and so many others that many of them had to stand. Each one of them was looking equally puzzled by the sheer number of people involved in the meeting. No one had the faintest clue what assignment could require nearly everyone they had at their disposal.

Jason was sitting behind his desk, leaning on crossed hands in front of him with a stony look on his face. His mouth was set in a thin and unamused line. He'd been more serious and militaristic than ever since Percy left. Hazel knew Jason was hurting over Percy's departure, much like she was. After all, Jason and Percy had started this group together, and you didn't work so closely for so long with someone and not become good friends. It was the main reason she wasn't as angry at the blonde as she probably should have been. Jason hadn't wanted Percy to go either. Unfortunately, the desires of too many outweighed what her, Jason, and a few others had wanted, and now they were here.

Behind her, the sound of the heavy doors to Jason's office swinging open drew the attention of everyone in the room. Countless pairs of eyes fell on the new arrival, a short Latino boy with elfish features, his face decorated with sheening splotches of motor oil. Hazel recognized him immediately, and her curiosity shot through the roof. What was Leo Valdez doing at a mission briefing? Last she heard; Leo hadn't done anything but work on equipment and tech in his entire tenure as a member of their group. It was extremely out of the ordinary, even given the dire circumstances.

"You're late." Jason chided from behind his desk. Although his words were accusing, his voice wasn't altogether very vindictive. The soldier had always seemed to have a soft spot for the mechanic turned weapons technician.

"Ah. Sorry." Leo apologized, fiddling with a clump of metal parts in his hands. "Trying out something new in the workshop. I got a little distracted." He gave a nervous chuckle.

"Right." Jason breathed out. He seemed too tired to question Leo further. "Anyways, now that we're all here we can get started."

"Get started with what, exactly?" Annabeth asked. "You weren't very clear when you asked us to meet here."

"I know." He nodded. "But you're all here because I need all of you with me on a field mission. Every single one, to the last man."

To Hazel's left, one of their field operatives, Clarisse, let out a short bark of laughter. Hazel scowled to herself. She'd never liked the girl. Clarisse was brash, rude, violent, and altogether an unpleasant person to be around in the best of times. Worse yet, the girl had a nasty habit of picking fights with Percy, at least when he'd still been there, and hadn't been shy about her giddy feelings regarding his departure. To say the least, Hazel wasn't her biggest fan.

"You can't be serious, Jason. You want to take blondie and Valdez into the field? They're more likely to shoot themselves than anyone else." Clarisse sneered.

Leo didn't seem to be too offended by that. If anything, he seemed to agree. He'd turned to Jason expectantly, as if he'd been about to ask the same thing. Annabeth on the other hand, had too much pride to allow herself to be slandered, especially in front of so many. Her eyes narrowed, swirling storms of thundercloud grey drilling holes into Clarisse's skull. Hazel fought shriveling under the withering stare, and it wasn't even directed at her.

"I used to be a field operative before Clarisse, and you know it. I can handle myself and then some." Annabeth snipped; her tone bitter.

"Yeah, you _used_ to be one. 'Used to' being the key phrase. Now all you do is sit behind a keyboard and play password guesser. The most dangerous thing you've faced in the last year is carpal tunnel." Clarisse retorted, beady pig eyes baring down on the blonde hacker.

"Ooh, nice one." Travis Stoll whispered amusedly to himself. He was promptly ignored.

"The only reason I stopped going into the field is because we have _plenty_ of people smart enough to point a gun. I'm the _only one_ who can do my job. I'm a vital resource. You're as replaceable as you are dull."

"Are you calling me dumb, girlie?" Clarisse growled. She rose quickly from her seat, filling the room with a shrill scraping noise as her chair went sliding back against the cool stone floor.

"I thought it was obvious. I guess I should've known you wouldn't understand." Annabeth taunted, rising to meet her. Her hands balled into fists at her side, ready to defend herself if need be.

They were nose to nose now, faces red with anger. Just as things seemed to be about to escalate from verbal to physical, Jason stepped between them, a strong hand on their shoulders pushing them apart. They fought against him, but the force of his arms kept girls at bay.

"Enough. You're both very important assets, so I'd appreciate if you would not kill each other arguing over who we need more. Can you please both just sit down so we can get through this?"

They held their positions for a moment, refusing to back down, before they both eventually nodded in hesitant agreement. Reluctantly, the two completely separated and returned to their seats, resigning themselves to glaring at each other from across the room. Jason returned to his desk, letting out a frustrated sigh before reclaiming his seat. The bags under his eyes were heavy, but his blue eyes still held confidence in them.

"Look. We need all hands on deck for this. Now that Hazel is healthy enough to move, we can get started."

"Started with what, exactly?" Hazel asked, curious as to why she of all people was the key in all of this.

"We're going back. To Luke's base, I mean. And this time we're bringing enough backup to fight a war."

Hazel felt her breath hitch a little in her throat. She wasn't sure how she felt about going back so soon. Especially considering how her last experience there ended.

"So, we were waiting for Hazel, why?" Clarisse said, rolling her eyes. "She worked with Prissy, but that doesn't make her Prissy. She won't make or break this thing. What's she going to do to help that no one else could do? Get shot again?" Most recoiled at her harsh words, but Hazel saw a few pairs of eyes flash their agreement.

Hazel felt her stomach boil. She always prided herself on being cool and collected. She may be incredibly shy most of the time, and a bit awkward, but she'd never been one to freak out over an insult. Being the loner girl in school had helped her sort of built up a resistance to that type of thing, but Clarisse always managed to get under her skin. This time was no exception to that rule.

"Clarisse." Jason cut in before Hazel could respond. "That's more than enough. Hazel is more than capable. You don't live that long working with Percy Jackson if you're weak. But we don't need her to help us shoot our way in anyways. That's what everyone else is for. She's still healing. We need her because she's the only one who's already been inside. The only one with any idea what's waiting for us. If we're to be successful, we'll need that experience."

People nodded around the room, understanding the reasoning. Hazel felt a bit of nervousness nip at her brain. All these people were going to be relying on her knowledge. That was a lot of pressure.

"You want to go back to the lab her and Percy found, don't you? To see what they couldn't?" Annabeth asked, following his train of thought. Jason nodded in affirmation.

"I do. Percy and Hazel didn't have enough time before Luke found them to find any concrete answers. We _need_ concrete answers. If we can get back into that lab, and we can get more information, we'll be that much closer to ending this once and for all."

Everyone around the room soaked what he was saying in for a moment. Percy and Hazel had snuck in, just two of them, and still hadn't gone unnoticed. To get all these people in would be like wearing a necklace with a cowbell on it and screaming 'look at me!' as you ran through the front door. It was risky, but it could be exactly what they needed to get to the bottom of things.

A pair of hands clapping together broke the silence.

"I love a good break in." Travis cheered, an impish smile on his face.

"I was counting on that." Jason said knowingly. "I was hoping you'd be able to get us in relatively unnoticed."

"I can do that." Travis replied happily. Hazel could already see the gears turning in his head as he imagined all the deviously juicy ways to break in unnoticed.

"Good. You better come up with something fast though."

"Why? When does this all go down?" Clarisse asked, her voice eager. Her eyes danced with hunger. Hazel could swear the girl would eat violence for every meal of the day if she could.

"Tomorrow." Jason said, voice strong. "Gather all the equipment you'll need. Get your rest. Ready yourself for a fight. Because tomorrow, we go to war."

* * *

**XxXxX**

Two hours in a sewer wasn't exactly Hazel's ideal night out, but according to Travis, it was the best way to break into a place. Apparently, it was significantly easier to do it this way because most people didn't expect anyone to wade through a river of disgustingly filthy water just to sneak in. It was an understandable assumption. If they weren't so desperate, the smell alone, not to mention the knee-deep sewage, would have been enough of a natural deterrent to keep them above ground.

They'd been walking in a single file line, each person careful to stay close to the person ahead of them. It wouldn't do to get lost down here. Annabeth had a copy of the city sewer plans, courtesy of her affinity for finding information online, and had made it abundantly clear that Sapphire City's sewers were a labyrinth and then some, meaning if you got lost it was probably the last thing you were going to do. The warning had Hazel on high alert, eyes trained on the person in front of her. Dying alone in a stream of human excrement was far from how she wanted to go.

"How much longer?" she heard someone up ahead ask, sounding as bored as she felt.

Despite them not being too far ahead, and their voice not being particularly hushed, she still barely heard them. The sound of flowing water combined with the dozens of feet sloshing through it reverberating off the tunnel walls made it difficult to hear. She strained her ears to hear the other side of the conversation, curious to hear the answer herself.

"Not much longer at all." Came the reply from Annabeth. "In fact, we're here."

That sparked a reaction. Suddenly, the entire column of people took on a more serious demeanor. In an instant, the hushed idle chatter died out, replaced with stern faces and muted mouths. The column quickly formed up, gathering in ranks around Jason and Travis. In seconds, they'd gone from a merry band of sewer hikers to a well-oiled war machine.

"Alright everyone, listen up." Came Jason's powerful voice. He raised a hand to draw attention to himself. "We should be right underneath Luke's facility. In a few minutes, Travis will have us through the ceiling and into the base. From then on, it's on all of you to take care of business. It'll be dangerous. It'll be chaotic. It'll be war. We'll need to watch each other's backs. Stick together, and fight like your life depends on it, because it does. You do that, and we'll be back here with joy in our hearts and victory cries on our lips."

There was a brief cheer, loud and hopeful. It echoed off the walls, bouncing off the stone and into Hazel's eardrums. The noise was invigorating, sending a shot of adrenaline coursing through her veins at breakneck speeds. As the cheers died out, Travis stepped forward, hoisting a large tank of water on his back. Extending from the end of the tank was a large hose, hooked up to a powerful nozzle.

"I'd like everyone to give Leo a quick round of applause for bringing my idea to life on such short notice." Travis said with a smile, twirling the nozzle in his hand like a cowboy in an old western. "I give you, the most effective key known to man."

Everyone shared confused looks, eyes darting between Leo, Travis, and the nozzle in his hands. A dull murmur swept over the crowd as they questioned the device amongst themselves. Travis seemed oblivious to their puzzlement, mistaking it for them being impressed, and made a show of twirling the nozzle with great showmanship, trying to play to the crowd. Leo, however, was able to pick up on the groups shared bewilderment and made to enlighten them.

"It's a high-pressure water cannon." Leo elaborated, waving his hand towards the tank on Travis' back. "Sort of like a power washer, only way, _way_ stronger. Travis had the idea, I just made it happen."

"Really repair boy? You actually expect us to believe we're going to cut through stone with a squirt gun?"

Leo didn't seem to mind the nickname, but he bristled at the doubt for the viability of his invention. It was just like what Hazel had come to expect from the inventor. Most of the time it felt like he valued his creations over himself.

"It's hardly a squirt gun. That thing could strip the white off rice. Show him Travis." He retorted defensively. He nodded towards Travis, sending a silent message for him to show off what his so called 'squirt gun' was capable of.

"I thought you'd keep me waiting forever." Travis said with a grin, raising the nozzle to the ceiling with noticeable glee. His finger compressed on the trigger, and the tank on his back started to whir. "Let's see what this baby can do."

The whirring stood alone for a moment. Soft and dull, but it didn't last long. It rapidly climbed in pitch and volume, transforming into a shrill scream as the machine presumably built up power, before it finally turned all the way on.

Water exploded from the nozzle, jetting towards the ceiling in a razon thin stream. It hit the roof with an explosion of mist, and the sound of slicing filled the air. The noise made Hazel grit her teeth. It was loud, and the mist was raining down on her and everyone else in thick waves. The aerosolized water mixed with the congealed slime it had blasted off the roof, pouring a dirty haze down on them, but it didn't matter. It was working.

As the minutes dragged on, the incessant whining of the water cannon was starting to wear down everyone's already frayed nerves even faster than the stone it was cutting. Just before she thought she'd reached her limit, a large cracking sound permeated the air. With one last twist of the nozzle from Travis, the ceiling gave way. A large circle of concrete plummeted from the roof above, falling to the water below. It hit faster than many could avoid, sending a splash of rancid sewer water across the fronts of anyone too slow to turn away.

"I told you it would work!" Leo shouted over the sound of everyone's disgusted cries. People seemed to be less interested in the success of his design, and more interested in retching and spluttering as they mourned their now soaked clothes.

"Okay, now what?" someone asked, spitting out a mouthful of disgusting sewer water. Travis smiled knowingly.

"Now, we turn to a much more familiar invention."

He beckoned over Leo, who unslung a bag from his shoulders. Reaching inside, they pulled out what looked to be a foldable ladder. Just a few short seconds later and they had it leaned up against the hole in the roof, set up for easy access. Now Luke's compound was only a ladder's climb away.

Hazel had to admit, Travis' method of breaking and entering was a little more convoluted than Percy's 'climb through a window' strategy, but it had its merit. They were closer to the lab now, and even with the noise they'd made, they had a much higher likelihood of going unnoticed for longer.

It took far longer than they'd hoped to get everyone up the ladder. Every second counted, and since they were forced to go one by one, the minutes felt like hours as they dragged on. The longer they lingered in one place, the more dangerous things became. A wave of relief washed over everyone when the last person had finally made it over the edge of the circular hole in the floor. They could finally get moving.

"Alright Hazel." Jason said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's up to you now. Show us the way."

"Right." She bit her lip nervously. "Percy and I didn't really come this way, so I really have no clue where to go either." She admitted.

Embarrassment nibbled at her insides. Jason had made sure everyone knew that they were relying on her, but she didn't have the knowledge they were relying on her for. She'd let them down. Clarisse had been right. She was still too weak to help, and she certainly wasn't guiding them through parts of the building she'd never seen before.

Jason must have noticed her trepidation. He frowned, leaning forward to bring his eyes level with hers. There was an intensity there that she didn't often see from him. In fact, it was a look that she didn't often see from anyone, other than Percy that is. It was a look that said, 'I trust and believe in you implicitly'. It felt strange coming from him, but comforting. It reminded her of Percy, and that was a good thing when she was stressed like this.

"Listen." Jason lowered his voice so only Hazel could hear him. "Percy told me about the first time you came here. He said he let you choose which way when there was no clear option. You chose right. It may have seemed trivial to you then; it was anything but. Percy doesn't just let people make decisions for him like that. He believed in your gut, and he's usually right about that sort of thing. If he trusts your instincts, then so do I... You should too."

"I doubt many of them will be too pleased that you're having everyone follow me because _Percy_ trusts me." She muttered sullenly, walking towards the front of the group anyways.

Although she wasn't showing it, his words gave her the confidence she needed. Knowing Percy had that confidence in her was sort of like getting permission to believe in yourself. Even wherever he was now, he was still helping her make strides.

"Don't worry. I won't tell them if you won't." Jason said as he fell in stride with her. He shot her a wink with one electric blue eye.

She didn't know what to say to that, so she chose to remain silent. Everyone else fell into ranks behind them, trailing with soft steps. Even treading lightly, their sheer numbers made a disconcerting amount of noise as she navigated the many underground corridors. Each looked the same as the last, but every time they came to a crossroads, she did what Jason had told her to do. She trusted her gut.

After a while, just when she was starting to feel like they'd been walking in circles, things started to get familiar. Not in looks per say, no, the corridor they currently occupied was no different than the rest. Things were familiar in a more sinister way. The same eerie feeling from the last time she was here washed over her. It was the worst kind of déjà vu. It felt like she was about to relive her worst moment, only this time she saw it coming.

Swallowing the bile that was threatening to jump out of her throat, she burst through the final door, finding herself immersed in the same nightmare she'd already lived through. The same tanks from before still lined the walls. The same surgical tables still dominated the center of the room, bloody tools strewn haphazardly about. It was like nothing had been touched since she'd last been there. The room before her was a frozen in time replica of her last visit, at least it would be, if not for one thing. A large pool of dried blood, more than any human should ever bleed, caked the floor like a crimson dust. A giant circle of red marking where she'd fallen. A relic of her dance with death.

She froze at the sight of it. People filtered past her, mouths agape with astonishment and horror, much like she'd looked the first time she'd been there, but she paid them no mind. Her eyes remained locked on the dried sea of red. It had been much easier to ignore what had happened and focus on recovery back home, but here, with the evidence of her trauma thrust into the spotlight, it was hitting her like a freight train. She'd almost died. She should've died. She shouldn't be alive. It all should've ended right there, right in that patch of red.

"It's alright, Hazel." Jason said from her side, tearing her away from her runaway mind. A small sympathetic smile adorned his features. He must have sensed her inner turmoil. "I was pretty messed up the first time something like that happened to me, too. Took a while to come to grips with my first brush with death. Believe me, it gets easier if you just accept your luck and move on."

She looked up at him, mouth pressed into a thin line.

"I'm not messed up by it." She lied. "I was just thinking about how scary that must have been for Percy. All I did was bleed out, he's the one who actually had to do something about it. If anyone should be messed up about it, it's him."

The second part wasn't a lie. She felt terrible about putting Percy in that position, although she'd never tell him as much. He would be offended by the idea that she felt sorry for getting shot, but she did. If she had done something, anything besides nothing, maybe she wouldn't have nearly died. Then maybe Percy wouldn't have had to deal with that trauma either. Maybe he'd still be here. Maybe she wouldn't feel so alone.

"Believe me Hazel, no one feels worse about what happened than he does." Jason said, obviously trying to comfort her. It had the opposite effect.

"Yeah." She mumbled back. "That's why I feel so bad. It wasn't his fault."

Jason opened his mouth to argue further, but a sound in the background of all the crowd noise tickled their eardrums. Bootsteps. Lots of them. They were drawing nearer too. They'd been discovered, and this time it wasn't just Luke coming to talk. This sounded like an army was bearing down on them, about to strike. This was the resistance they'd been expecting.

"We've got company!" Jason shouted, already turning to the door. "Leo, Annabeth, you know your jobs. Will, stay here and wait for any wounded to be brought in. Patch them up as best you can with what you brought. The rest of you are with me. It's go time."

The blonde soldier unholstered his pistol and Hazel made to do the same, but a hand stopped her. As everyone else ran ahead of him to prepare a defense, Jason paused to stare her down. Blue eyes met her gold ones, a message being clearly conveyed. _I didn't mean you._ She was going to argue, but a shake of the head stopped her in her tracks. She wanted to defy his orders, but she didn't really have a choice in the matter. He could punish her, or he could outright stop her from leaving the room. If it came to her versus Jason in a physical struggle, it would be laughably one sided. Reluctantly she nodded, accepting that he was sidelining her.

Jason grunted in approval before running off to join everyone else still filtering through the door. In a few seconds the room had completely cleared out, leaving her, Will, Leo, and Annabeth on their own. After the door slid shut behind the last man, it was quite for a moment. You could almost pretend there wasn't a huge battle about to go down just a few feet past the metal entrance.

That fantasy lasted only a short time before the fighting started in abrupt fashion. Gunshots went from nonexistent to going off at a scary rate. In the blink of an eye the once quiet hallway had become a warzone. Even through the thick walls, it sounded like a bag of popcorn being microwaved amplified times a thousand. She closed her eyes, trying to pretend that it was just a group of overly patriotic rednecks on the fourth of July and not a fight that her comrades would be injured and killed in. Pretending didn't work. She could still hear the fighting. She could still hear the screams.

She needed a distraction from the shiver inducing gunfire. Turning back to scan the room, she saw Annabeth hunched over the same computer that Percy had been last time. Her fingers danced furiously on the keyboard with a familiarity that only someone like Annabeth could eve have, typing faster than Hazel's eyes could follow. Whatever she was doing, it was clearly important, and she was clearly in a hurry, so Hazel decided not to disturb her.

Next, she found Leo, examining the floor in front of where Luke had been standing. His brows were furrowed in confusion, and he was tapping a foot on the floor as he oozed oodles of nervous energy. She decided he was a safer bet for a distraction from the chaos outside. He was friendlier, and much less likely to bite his head off for asking questions.

"What are you looking for?" she asked, trying to ignore the gunshots and yells still coming from outside the door.

"What? Oh." Leo said, obviously not having heard her approach. "Jason told me about the wall-thing Percy had described. The one that blocked the bullets I mean. I'm trying to turn it on so I can see what it is. I have several theories. If I can confirm one then maybe I can figure out-"

"How to shoot through it?" she interrupted. He nodded. "Okay. Shooting through it would be good. How can I help?"

"Just look for anything that could be a hidden switch or something. You didn't see him touch anything right? That means it's probably something he could activate subtly. Some way he turned it on without you guys knowing."

"Got it. Subtle switches." She mumbled, already turning away.

She scanned the ground around where Luke had stood for a while. Despite her and Leo's intense scrutiny, there was nothing that looked remotely close to a magic shield button. Still, it had to be there, because if it wasn't, they were faced with the unfortunate idea that Luke could bring it anywhere. If that ended up being the case, they were even more royally screwed, because that meant Luke was even more dangerous than they already thought.

"Found it!" she heard Leo yell, voice crackling with excitement.

She turned around in a hurry, too fast to think about what might happen. All she saw was Leo standing over a tile depressed into the ground before she met resistance, and a lot of it. Bumping face first into the mystical wall, she was sent stumbling back a few steps. Leo laughed at her misfortune but she ignored him, instead choosing to rub the pain out of her face. Once she recovered from her accidental encounter with the wall, she took a few steps closer, extending a hand to touch the invisible wall.

"Do you have any idea what this thing is?" she mumbled.

Her eyes were trained on her fingertips. They twisted and turned against the wall, unable to push through. Near where she was touching, the invisible wall had lit up with blue light, extending like waves and slowly fading into nothingness as they distanced themselves from her fingers.

"A pretty good idea." Leo responded, examining the wall with a much more calculating eye. "I'm amazed this is actually here though. This is impressive technology. Incredibly sophisticated."

"What is it? Can you make something to shoot through it?" she asked, curiosity piqued. Leo shook his head amusedly, eyes trailing the blue waves framing her hand.

"No, I couldn't make something to shoot through it. At least not very easily. As for what it is, well, honestly, I couldn't explain it if I wanted to. To you and anyone else, except maybe Annabeth, it would sound like a different language. All you need to know is, this thing is insanely strong, but I don't think we should be worried about it too much."

"We _shouldn't _be worried about an invisible bullet blocking wall that can be summoned on command?" she asked incredulously.

"Nah." He chuckled to himself. "It made for a cool party trick the one time, sure, but there's no way this thing is portable. You can make moveable versions, but not this strong. If you checked outside any of these walls, or underneath the floor, I'm willing to bet you'd see thousands of pounds of equipment just to generate this one shield. As long as we're not operating in this exact room, we have more important things to worry about."

"Well that's good news."

"Yeah. Maybe." He didn't seem as pleased as she'd expected. "But I don't like what having this shield here at all means for us."

"You mean the fact that they have even more advanced technology." Hazel realized what he was thinking.

"Exactly. We're dealing with a group of kidnapping, human experimenting, murderous crazies, and the head of them all is a nutcase, even by their standards. That's already bad enough. The biggest problem though, is that they have enough tech and money to fight an actual war. Too much for just some gang of street thugs. I want to know where they're getting it, because this just isn't normal."

She opened her mouth to respond, but the sound of a metal door sliding cut her off. She must have missed the sound of fighting stopping during their conversation. Instantly, her and Leo's eyes whipped towards the door, silently hoping it would be a friendly. Luckily, it was a familiar face that showed himself.

"You guys get what you need?" Jason said, sounding winded.

Hazel looked him up and down, too shocked to speak. He was covered in blood, though to be fair most of it probably wasn't his. His clothes were scorched in a few places, and he looked bone tired. He looked like a marathon runner who'd taken a detour through a field of mutilated intestines and billowing ash. If Jason looked like this, the thought of what everyone else must look like made her shudder.

"Yeah, we got it." Annabeth said confidently from her side.

Hazel jumped at the blonde's voice. She hadn't had someone sneak up on her like that since Percy had left. Her eyes swiveled to the hacker, catching the very end of her motion as she tucked something away into her pocket.

"Just in time then." Jason said relief in his tone. "We just finished up. I'm sure they'll have more people here soon. We need to get moving before they get here. We can't hold back another wave."

Hazel gulped. He'd just basically confirmed it. She wasn't going to like what she saw on the other side of that door. If they didn't have the manpower left to fight back, things hadn't gone as well as she'd dared to hope.

"Was it worth it?" she asked carefully, gauging his reaction. "To come back I mean."

Jason's eyes flickered to Annabeth, who's expression gave no clues, before settling back on her again. The usual vibrant lightning blue was dim. Her heart sank further.

"God, I sure hope so."

* * *

**AN:**

**I know, I know, I know. 'No Percy? Why am I even reading this story?' I'm sorry. It had to be done. What's the point of splitting he and Hazel up if they reunited instantly? I had to split them up, and I had to show what happened before they join forces again, so unfortunately, since this story follows Hazel's perspective, we have to wait to see him again. Lucky for you, a little birdy told me you don't have to wait much longer. Speaking of waiting, sorry that you had to do that for this chapter. I'm doing my best to churn these out consistently, but right now the best I can manage is one every 4 to 7 days or so. Hopefully quality is making up for quantity. Please let me know as always how you're enjoying or not enjoying, I love the feedback. Anyways, until next time,**

**Peace**


	9. Chapter 8

**AN:**

**Hey guys, long time no chapter. Sorry about it, school is a wild one right now. To make up for it, this chapter is almost seven thousand words, which I hope will appease you. Also, good news is next week is my last week before spring break, and since my social life is equivalent to that of a jar of peanut butter, you'll be getting more than a chapter during the week of spring break. Anyways, you've been waiting long enough, so here's chapter 8 of "All That's Left"**

* * *

**XxXxX**

All the figureheads were there. The most vital and authoritative figures they had, all gathered around one heavy wooden table. It was curious to Hazel, that somehow, she'd been included in that demographic. She'd been a part of the organization for a while now, but her stint was still significantly shorter than almost anyone, and even more so for those around her, making it all the more strange the company she found herself in.

The table was of course headed by Jason Grace, an extremely decorated war veteran with a proclivity for discipline. He'd called the meeting. It was closely guarded what was to be discussed, which was why only the best of the best were gathered. She only had one question. Since when did that include her?

Looking around the table, she felt utterly out of place. She was joined around the table by several prominent figures in their organization. Clarisse La Rue, who was essentially their leading weapons expert considering the loss of both Frank Zhang and Percy Jackson. Annabeth Chase, a magnificent hacker, and even more impressive, a certifiable genius. Piper McLean, a stunning beauty with a sirens voice. Leo Valdez, a mad scientist of an engineer, and Will Solace, the best doctor they had, and the best one they knew of. These were all the most important people they had, the ones who facilitated everything that went on. Without them, nothing would ever get done. They were the collective brain trust of the organization, and somehow, some way, Hazel had joined their ranks.

Maybe it was who she'd learned from. Maybe despite everything that made people want him gone, Percy Jackson had garnered more respect than even she could've imagined. Perhaps he'd accrued so much reverence that just working closely with him made her supremely qualified. That had to be it, because there was no other explanation for her seat at the table. It felt wrong, to know that she was there in his stead. She'd grown a lot in her time there, she knew that, but she also knew when she was underqualified for something. Filling Percy Jackson's shoes? She doubted anyone was fit for that job.

Her eyes drifted across the room, alertly drinking in everyone's expressions. Some were better than others at masking their true feelings, but no matter how skilled they were, they were all exuding the same feeling. Each one of them seemed on edge, frustrated, and worried beyond belief. Undoubtedly, her own face betrayed those same tumultuous emotions within her. No one knew exactly what to expect, either from this meeting, or from the future, and that's what was so scary. They were in the dark.

"Will." Jason finally said, breaking the silence. His voice was a candle in the inky black shroud of worry that had hung over them. "How many did we lose?"

All eyes turned to the sunny haired doctor. They saw his adams apple bob in his neck. His face was pale, and his eyes were ringed in heavy bags. He looked far from the beaming spotlight that usually burned from within the infirmary. When he spoke, his voice was soft and gentle. Everyone knew it well enough. It was the voice any doctor used when delivering a brutal diagnosis. It was a voice of apologetic grieving.

"Thirteen dead. Four in critical condition. Twenty more too injured for action for the foreseeable future."

Hazel's golden eyes widened. That was more than half of their number dead or injured. A hand flew up to her unhinged jaw, catching the gasp of shock just before it escaped her lips. She knew it was bad, but not _this_ bad.

"Jesus." Leo whispered. For once the cheery mechanic didn't have much else to say. He seemed as thrown as the rest of them.

Jason cursed under his breath at the head of the table, drawing everyone's stares. His face was schooled and stoic in what would have been a successful attempt to hide just how bad the news stung, but his hands gave him away. Balled into fists on the desk in front of him, his knuckles were bone white. His nails dug into his own skin, and his forearms bulged as they strained. He was barely holding it together. These were his people, and his people were suffering.

"That's more than half of us." Piper muttered. "Half of our friends."

A tear fell down her cheek, dripping tenderly to the hard wood table. It soaked into the wood, disappearing without a trace, only leaving behind the solemn expression on Piper's face. Hazel had never seen the Cherokee girl so sullen before. It was a harsh reminder of exactly how bad things were.

"That's war for you." Clarisse reasoned, pretending to be unbothered as she leaned back in her chair.

She was doing her best to give off an air of nonchalance, but everyone could see through the tough warrior façade she was putting on. This news bothered her as much as it did them. For once, the violent girl didn't seem too keen for another fight, no matter how much she was trying to deny that to both them and herself.

"We've lost too many." Jason said, drumming his fingers on the tabletop. "We can't afford to risk another assault like that. At least not until everyone is healed up. For the near future, everything has to be covert."

There was a string of nods around the table. Everyone knew he was right, a full military excursion like the last one would spell the end of them all.

"We wouldn't be having this problem if _some people_ didn't force our best fighter to leave." Annabeth spat hotly, her eyes sweeping accusingly over Clarisse and Jason.

If it were anyone else, they pair would have withered under her piercing grey eyed stare, but these two were particularly resilient against intimidation, even from Annabeth. Around the room, everyone's eyes widened at Annabeth's challenge. No one had been so openly contemptuous of Percy's forced departure before. Most people didn't care, and the ones that did knew causing an issue throughout the organization wasn't what Percy would've wanted. At least, all of them except Annabeth knew that apparently.

"Look, Annabeth, I told you he wanted to-" Jason said firmly, trying to stop an argument before it occurred.

"He wanted to leave; I know." She snapped. "But he wouldn't have wanted to leave if people still wanted him here." She had cut Jason off without hesitation, something that was usually reserved for Percy. She was curiously angry, completely uninterested in Jason's diplomatic justification for kicking Percy out. It was interesting to see Annabeth so emotional; she was normally as calm and calculating as the computers she toyed with.

"We did the right thing." Clarisse argued across the table, scowling towards the blonde. "We don't need Prissy. It doesn't matter what he did when he was here, he's too damn dangerous to keep around."

"We could've used some dangerous in the fighting." Leo muttered, twiddling nervously with some gears in his hands. He didn't look up, but he didn't need to for any to see the emotion in him. Though the mechanic preferred machine to man, he was as hurt by their losses as anyone.

"That's not what I meant, Valdez." Clarisse protested. "And you didn't want him here either, Chase." She continued, whirring her attention to the blonde. "All you did was argue with him, same as me. The only difference is you didn't have the guts to tell Jason you wanted him gone like everyone else did. And now you're pretending you saw this coming just to stroke your own damn ego."

"I didn't want him gone! Because unlike you, I'm not an idiot!" Annabeth shouted, raising her voice as if volume made her more right. Hazel had seen the blonde in several debates, but never had she seen her quite so incensed. "I argued with him all the time, sure, but so did you and Jason and so many others. In the end it didn't mean anything. He was dangerous, reckless, and a pain in the ass, but we all liked him anyway. _Needed _him anyway. He was the only reason we've made it as far as we have, and you and the rest kicked him out because you were too afraid to admit that almost everything you think you've built was built by one man."

"Annabeth." Jason intoned, his voice stern.

Annabeth shot him a scalding look; disobedience clear in her posture. He was still trying to play the meditator, but it wasn't going to work. Annabeth blamed him for Percy's leaving more than anyone else, and based on her reaction, she was apparently far more bothered by it than she'd been letting on. Luckily for Jason, Clarisse wasn't done.

"You think anyone will actually buy that garbage, Chase? You don't even believe what you're saying. You're just defending him because you and him used to-"

"Clarisse!" Jason shouted, trying to get a handle on the feuding girls.

His voice ricocheted off the walls, powerful and demanding. The others recoiled at the loud noise, but the girls seemed unaffected. The look of rage on both of their faces didn't falter. Instead, they only grew more upset. They were out of even Jason's control, their anger clouding their minds. Both opened their mouths to continue, but Piper beat them to it, stopping them in their tracks.

"Relax." Piper said, putting as much calming inflection in her voice as possible. The results were immediate.

Hazel instantly felt the effect of Piper's command. All of her muscles untensed, and her mind flooded with cool and comfortable feelings and memories. Thanks to just one word, there was an irresistible urge to be calm bathing her subconscious in mere moments. Piper's ability was so absolute, Hazel doubted she could find the gumption within herself to be angry if Luke Castellan was staring her in the face. Around the room, the others looked equally soothed. A single word had turned a hurricane into a serene beach.

The hairs on the back of Hazel's neck stood up. Piper's ability always unnerved her, and this was a premium display of it. It was a lot of power to give to any one person. Being able to control people with any muttered phrase wasn't something to be taken lightly. Thankfully, Hazel couldn't think of someone better to have that ability than Piper.

"Thank you, Piper." Jason breathed out, cutting through the artificial calm. He flashed the girl a smile of gratitude before folding his hands in his lap. "Look, all of you. We can't sit here and argue about the validity of our decision. What's done is done. Percy is gone, for better or for worse, we have to focus on the here and now."

"What good will that do us?" Will spoke up. He crossed his arms, sinking down in his seat. "Half our forces are currently occupying a cot in my infirmary. We're not exactly in fighting shape. We might as well sulk about our past mistakes while we have the time."

"But we don't have the time. We can't just do nothing." Leo argued, poking his head up from his anxious tinkering for a brief instant.

"Leo's right." Jason said emphatically. "Which is why we're not going to do nothing."

"So, what do you propose then?" Clarisse questioned.

"We do reconnaissance. Gather some intel."

"Reconnaissance? Intel? We've already been inside their base, what more do you hope to accomplish from sitting outside and watching _nothing_ happen?"

"That's exactly my point." Jason explained. He pinched the bridge of his nose, a clear sign that his patience was starting to run thin. "We've already been inside their base. We've seen their lab. When we were there, what was missing?"

The rest of them shared a few confused glances, wondering just what he was getting at.

"People." Hazel hesitantly spoke out. "Both times, we only ever saw the lab, the guards, or Luke. Never any scientists, and certainly never any of the test subjects. They captured all our friends and family, and they're clearly doing _something_ with them, yet we saw none of it."

Jason nodded approvingly at her. Around the table, the others donned looks of understanding.

"Exactly, Hazel. Annabeth." Jason said. Annabeth's face shifted, curling into a concerned grimace. Jason was discreetly implying something; she obviously didn't like it. Whatever it was, the two of them clearly knew something the rest of them didn't. That didn't bode well.

The blonde sighed before nodding slowly. She leaned to the side, digging into a bag at her side to draw out a file filled with documents. It was at least three inches thick, and if the ruffled edges sticking out of the side were to be believed, had been looked though dozens of times already. Annabeth cracked open the file, showing the first page to everyone. It was an exact printout of the first page on the computer when Hazel and Percy had first discovered the lab.

"That's what you were doing. Back at the base I mean. You were copying their data." Hazel said as she eyed the files. While her and Leo had searched for the shield Luke had used, Annabeth had been copying their entire database. Hazel had suspected as much, but now her suspicions had been confirmed.

"I was." Annabeth paused. "The only reason that I went with everyone into the field was because we couldn't risk someone picking up another encryption along with the stuff we actually needed like you did last time. No offense." Annabeth had the grace to smile apologetically. It wasn't Hazel's fault that she had set off the encryption lock on the stolen data from the warehouse. No one but Annabeth could've prevented that.

"None taken." Hazel said, raising her hands in a placating gesture. She found it hard to take offense when Annabeth was right. She _had_ triggered the encryption and it _did_ take a frustratingly long time to crack.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we get it. You're a computer master, we all pale in comparison. Just tell us what you found." Clarisse said impatiently. That snapped everyone else back to attentiveness. Clarisse had a point. They'd been waiting for too long. They wanted to know what was going on.

Annabeth bit her lip, most likely cutting off a retort. Her hand flipped through the file, searching for something. Finally, her fingers found what they were looking for, yanking out enough pages to slide a copy across the table to everyone. Hazel looked down at the page, not sure what to expect. As her eyes drank in the text, shock washed over her. The more she read, the more surprising it got.

"So the reason-" Piper began, only to be cut off.

"Yes," Annabeth said. "The reason there was no one at the lab is because we went at the wrong time. That's not their only base. They have four others, and they seem to rotate where they're conducting operations. The reason it was so empty is because everyone is at one of the other locations. If we'd been earlier, we might've actually gotten a chance to get everyone back."

"So the recon…" Will asked, trailing off.

"Is to determine their schedule, if they have one. The files have locations for all the labs, but no schedule. Whether they have a set timeframe, or they move on a whim, we don't know. We need to figure it out. We'll set up teams to monitor each of the locales. If we can find out which of the bases they're hiding at, when they're there, and for how long, we can prepare a strike. That way, when we're ready for action again, we can break in, get everyone they've taken back, and then end this whole thing once and for all." Jason finished.

"Makes sense. My question is, what are you not telling us? That can't be all we learned. That file is taller than Leo, yet our biggest news is that the crazy gang that can afford an army has more than one building?" Clarisse asked. Her tone oozed suspicion.

Everyone eyed Jason and Annabeth expectantly, imploring them to answer the question. It was a valid one. The two of them shared a glance, seeming to have a silent conversation that no one else was privy to. It lasted for a good while, leaving the rest of them to wait in bated silence.

"I'm not really sure that-" Jason began.

"That we deserve to know?" Clarisse folded her arms, not even trying to hide her indignation. "Or you're not sure that we can handle whatever it is you and princess are hiding?"

"Yes and no. You can handle it… It's just that knowing is going to make it a hell of a lot harder to just sit back and do recon while we wait for people to get healthy." He said, not backing down.

"That's hardly fair, Grace." She protested. "If it's something that important, you and blondie can't keep it from us. I don't care if it means you have to tie me down to keep me from charging in all alone, we deserve to know."

Nods of agreement around the table, even from Hazel, supported the brash warrior. For once, she had a completely reasonable argument. If it was something as big as Jason and Annabeth were making it out to be, no one deserved to be left in the dark. Everyone had something, had someone at stake in all of this.

"It's…" he tapped the table nervously. Hazel's eyes widened marginally. Jason was _never _nervous enough to fidget. "It's about who they've taken. What they're doing with them. This 'project genesis' business is no good."

Worried looks flittered between everyone, but no one tried to stop him from continuing.

"The files go into it in excruciating detail. The gist of it? It's not human. What they're doing, I mean." Jason continued. "They took everyone they did in order to test on them. It's all part of some sick plan. They're trying to develop a way to alter people's genetic makeup. They want to be able to mass produce a cybernetic capable army, and they're using our loved ones as human guinea pigs."

Stunned silence fell across the room. Sure, rumors of what Hazel and Percy had seen leaned towards implying as much, but those were rumors. Hearsay. This was fact. The others, Jason and Annabeth excluded, had the luxury of reasonable doubt. They could hope it was just a regular, run of the mill evil trafficking syndicate. Now though, those hopes were dashed. Their loved ones were the involuntary test subjects of a madman.

"So we…" Will began. His voice faded out. He dropped his head into his hands, falling silent.

"What are they doing, exactly?" Piper asked. Her voice was weak and scared, trembling noticeably.

"Everything you could imagine, and worse." Annabeth said. There was no emotion in her voice. She was putting on a hard and stony shell. Hazel couldn't blame her for trying to protect herself like that. Jason, ever the rock standing in the way of the flowing river, continued for Annabeth.

"Essentially, they're trapping them in solitary stasis. Floating in those tanks we saw, completely conscious, completely feeling, but unable to communicate, move, or resist in any capacity. They're only ever removed to undergo various surgical procedures and injections of strange concoctions of chemicals, all so they can pursue their one true goal."

"Which is?" Leo asked. For once, his hands were completely still, put into as much of as stupor as the rest of him.

"They're looking to create an unstoppable army at any cost. Once they have it, they plan to use it to its fullest extent." Jason's voice was pained as he explained just how serious this all was.

"This isn't just some science experiment. You're implying they want to conquer the world?" Clarisse sounded horrified; a tone that seemed odd accompanying her voice.

"Worse." Jason muttered. "They don't want world domination. They want to 'cleanse the world'. Luke isn't some madman seeking power. He's a madman seeking _godhood_. He wants to remake the world however he sees fit. He doesn't just plan to kill billions; he plans to bring about a new genesis day."

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**XxXxX**

Hazel had seen a lot of strange things in her day, but this still managed to rank near the top. It was dark. In the middle of the day, with the sun no doubt still floating across the sky, the world was bathed in shadows. It was an even more peculiar phenomenon for someone who grew up in a city that constantly glowed with a neon radiance even in the latest hours. She lived in a world where darkness was foreign, and now she was being forced to grow accustom to it.

Overhead, thick swaths of black rainclouds formed a protective barrier against the sun's rays. It must've been a major storm, because not even the faintest traces of sunlight could come bursting through. Out in the countryside, miles outside of Sapphire City, and completely removed from its decadent glowing light, there was nothing to combat the darkness, thus producing night… During the day.

Hazel's eyes turned to her impromptu partner distastefully. Clarisse had been the last person on her list of people to replace Percy, but they were seriously undermanned right now, and Jason was refusing to let anyone into the field alone. Because of that unfortunate fact, she was now stuck with a bitter, argumentative, and irritable girl for a partner. Worse yet, they'd been assigned to keep watch over the single lab not in the city. Instead, she was stranded in the middle of nowhere… In a heavy rainstorm… With Clarisse for company… At least Clarisse was as annoyingly soaked and miserable as she was.

With a huff, she turned back to the sight before them. From the top of the hill they were hiding on, they had a perfect view into the compound below. That is, they would have if it weren't so dark, and if the rain wasn't so thick and constant that it formed a near solid wall. All they could see through the misty haze was the faint glow of lights, like fireflies through frosted glass. Under her breath, Hazel cursed whoever had invented rain. It always seemed to inconvenience her when she had no way to hide away from it.

The rain drilled into her back incessantly, boring unpleasant holes into her spine like Chinese water torture. To her chagrin, the watery bullets falling from the sky only seemed to be getting stronger. She felt a tap on her shoulder, one that was near indiscernible from the rain. Shaking out of her own mind, she once again turned to her companion.

"Finally. I thought you were in another coma." Clarisse shouted over the rain, raising a curious eyebrow at her. It wasn't the first time Hazel had drifted off into her own headspace. But could she really be blamed considering present company?

"I wish." Hazel muttered, knowing the rain would drown her out. "What is it?" she said louder, making sure Clarisse could hear her this time.

"Look." Clarisse nodded towards the road leading entrance to the compound below.

Following her indication, Hazel found what Clarisse had been alluding to. There was car on the road, and it was getting nearer. Only the dull headlights shooting blearily through the rain were visible, but as time passed it drew closer. The hazy outline of a massive semi pulled up to the front gate, coming to a stop just before entering. The headlights still glowed weakly through the rain, but the semi made no effort to enter the compound.

"What do you think it is?" Hazel asked.

"Not sure. Maybe people. Maybe equipment."

Hazel hummed in agreement before settling in, waiting to see what would happen next. For a while, it seemed like the truck had been stopped for some routine check. As time passed, and the truck still hadn't moved, it became clear something suspicious was going on. Unfortunately, thanks to the darkness and the heavy rain throwing up a sheet of thick mist, they had no chance of finding out what.

"We've got to go down there." Hazel declared, rising from her position and shaking some water from her hair. She hmphed in frustration. It was pointless, the water was replaced faster than it left.

"Really? You want to go get a closer look? Weren't you just lecturing me about how this was recon only just a few hours ago?" Clarisse taunted. She got up anyway, clearly arguing just to argue.

"That was then. I think something went wrong down there."

"And that's a bad thing? I'm pretty sure we like when things go wrong for the bad guys."

"You're right, it's a good thing. But wouldn't you like to know why it happened?" Hazel argued. She was curious, and she had a feeling. Those were two things Percy had always told her to listen to. Curiosity and her gut.

"Maybe they're just taking a while." Clarisse contested, already starting to descend the hill anyways.

"No way." Hazel countered, moving to catch up with her. "They've been rotating supplies and prisoners between their bases for months now. There's no way they're not doing these transfers at peak efficiency by this point."

Clarisse seemed to think about it for a second before nodding, conceding that Hazel had a fair point. With Hazel now in stride with Clarisse, they together made their way down the hill. They took it slow, careful to avoid any slips as they descended the drenched slope. After what felt like too long, they made it down the muddy hillside, putting them on even ground with the truck in the distance.

Thankfully, the heavy rain and darkness that was pushing them closer to the semi was also helping to conceal them from anyone who would normally see them approaching through the open field. As long as they kept a decent distance from the fence line, they were free to approach as casually as they wanted.

Drawing closer, the nearly indiscernible silhouette of the truck gained definition. It faded into view along with two interesting sights. The drivers side door was slightly ajar, and the back of the trailer was wide open, the heavy metal doors flapping wildly in the strong wind. A few glances around showed that no one was within eyesight of the truck, even further rousing Hazel's curiosity.

"I'll check the cargo; you check the driver's cab?" Hazel asked, turning towards Clarisse. The girl grunted in response. Hazel decided to exercise executive authority and take that as a yes.

Making her way to the back, she wondered what she'd find. Deep down, a part of her hoped it would be people. That way, they'd be able to save all this trouble and free everyone now. Unfortunately, a sinking feeling in her stomach told her that wasn't going to be the case.

Rounding the corner, she peered up into the semi. Despite her stomach, she had still been clinging to her hope, but it was dashed as quick as it had sprung up. The rear of the semi was lacking in people, instead filled with the cold glinting steel of medical machinery. This was the wrong shipment to catch unguarded.

"Nothing back here!" Hazel shouted. She waited for a moment, expecting a response, but one never came.

Creeping back around the truck, she saw the form of Clarisse in the darkness, staring up into the cab of the semi. Hazel took a few slow steps closer, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up.

"Clarisse? What's wrong?" she called out, stepping closer still.

Just as Hazel reached Clarisse's side, lightning exploded overhead. Hazel followed Clarisse's eyes, looking up into the cab just as the lightning illuminated the world. Inside the cab, slumped over in his seat, completely motionless, was the semi driver. Even more shocking, there was a bullet hole right between his eyes.

Hazel turned on Clarisse, eyebrows raised accusingly.

"Clarisse, did you… you know?" she left the question hanging.

The thunder that followed the lightning boomed overhead, shaking the earth to its core.

"No… Hazel…" Clarisse muttered when the deep boom finally stopped. "I don't think we're alone."

* * *

**XxXxX**

The further into the base they got, the more shocking it became. Endless corridors went deeper and deeper into the labyrinth, each hallway identical to the last. Everything was white. Walls of white. Floors, ceilings, dangling fluorescent lights, all glowing in a stark white. The only sign that they were making any progress were the biological stains that marred the pure white halls.

Body after body, splatter of blood after splatter of blood. The further they descended into the compound, the more they found. Every single corpse suffered the same wound, a single bullet hole, right between the eyes. Each little puncture seeped pools of crimson onto the floor, creating pools of death in their path. The blood was still warm, and the bodies were only just now starting to pale. The brain matter was still slowly dripping down the walls. Whoever was doing this, they were in there with them, they were close, and they were deadly.

It wasn't hard to follow the trail of bodies. The stench of death and the red liquid made it child's play to follow whoever was massacring the guards. Whether following the mystery assailant was a good idea or not, well, that remained to be seen.

"Who the hell could do all this?" Clarisse muttered, eyeing the pile of soldiers fallen in their path. It was an entire contingent, dead in one spot. If the lack of shell casings in the sea of blood was anything to go by, they hadn't even fired a single shot.

"I don't know." Hazel breathed out, gingerly stepping over the corpses. "It has to be some wet work team or something. Mercenaries or U.S. soldiers or some other group of operatives. You think there's a chance someone besides us knows what's going on here and came to stop it before we did?"

Clarisse fingered the holster of her gun as she walked. She seemed to mull over Hazel's words for a few steps before responding.

"Maybe." She finally said. "But it'll be hard to find out if we don't catch up to them."

"True." Hazel nodded. "Let's catch up to them then."

They fell silent, picking up their pace in order to gain ground on whoever it was that was doing their job for them, albeit in a gruesome and grizzly fashion. The trail seemed never ending, but suddenly there was finally a change from the monotony of constant carnage and white walls.

"You hear that?" Clarisse whispered, stopping in her tracks.

"No?" Hazel said confusedly.

"Stop. Listen."

Hazel did, coming to a halt a few steps ahead. She waited, straining her ears to hear what Clarisse was hearing. For a moment, there was silence, and then, a noise. It sounded like… Like screams. Muffled screams. They were close now. So close.

"Let's go." Clarisse said, taking off at a run towards the yelling.

Hazel took off after her, maneuvering through pools of blood and piles of bodies to keep pace. As they ran, the screaming got louder, more distinct. It sounded pleading. Whoever it was, they were scared, and they were begging.

A few more turns, and they found themselves outside a door. It was printer paper white, and completely inconspicuous, if not for the cries for mercy on the other side. Clarisse turned to her, drawing her weapon and urging for Hazel to do the same. She did, raising it in preparation for whatever was on the other side.

Clarisse held up three fingers, slowly counting down. Three. The screams went silent. Two. A muffled voice, barely perceptible through the steel door, rang out. One. Her hand tightened around her pistol, gripping it in an anaconda squeeze. Zero, Clarisse pushed into the door, slamming it open with Hazel hot on her tail.

An interesting scene was waiting on the other side. It was a lab similar to the one Hazel had been shot in, only it followed the blinding white theme of the rest of the compound. In the center of the room, there was a group of cowering scientists, all huddled together with their hands in the air. The one holding them in such palpable fear? Not a mercenary kill squad. Not some U.S. Special Forces. It was one man dressed in all black, with an assault rifle raised intimidatingly towards them.

"Oh, thank god." One of the scientists shouted. "Please! You have to save us! This guy's insane."

The man whirled on them in an instant, his gun quickly training on her head. In a blur, his other hand had dashed to his waist, drawing a pistol and aiming it at Clarisse. He didn't fire, and neither did they. A silent message passed between them. If anyone shot, they'd quickly meet the same fate. Mutually assured destruction at its finest.

Despite having their assailant's back to them, the scientists made no move to leave or attack him. They seemed too petrified to move, and Hazel could understand why. Being held at gunpoint was scary enough, but this guy brough intimidating to new heights. His all black ensemble of body armor, not to mention his weaponry, were impressive enough, but both paled in comparison to his helmet. A blank slate of black. Lifeless. Emotionless. Not even a reflection. It was an empty wall of nothing that somehow promised death. Or worse.

"What's going on?" Hazel shouted over to him, finding her voice.

The man turned to her, cocking his head to the side curiously. Her body begged to shudder under his faceless gaze, but she forced out the feeling. She forced resolve to take her fear's place, doing her best to hide her understandable trepidation of entering a shootout with a man who'd murdered his way through an entire base.

The soldier studied her for a moment, unmoving, before nodding almost so minutely it was almost imperceptible. If she didn't know any better, she would almost have called it a nod of approval. A few seconds passed, and he finally spoke.

"An interrogation." His voice was deep, inhumanly so, obviously being modified by a voice changer to come out low and demonic.

"Hard to interrogate someone with a bullet in their brain." Clarisse commented, eyeing the corpse of a scientist that wasn't lucky enough to be in the group still living.

"Maybe." The man responded. "But they'll run out of loyalty before I run out of bullets."

"Please. We don't know anything." One of the scientists cried, tears streaming down his face.

The man whirled around, delivering a shot directly to his skull. The rest of the gathered hostages screamed as his blood and brains exploded all over them, showering everyone in human gore.

"Hey!" Clarisse shouted, brandishing her weapon again. "Don't move again unless I say so, or you're dead."

The man laughed as he turned back to Clarisse against her own orders. It sounded weird as it passed through his voice changer, coming out as some dark warble.

"Relax, girl." He said, lowering his guns to his sides. "Lower your guns. I'm not going to shoot you. If I wanted you two dead, I would've done it while you were playing chit chat on the hill outside."

Chills ran up Hazel's spine. This man had been watching them before he went on his killing spree? This man gave off the air of a predator, and Hazel felt like the prey. She glanced at Clarisse, meeting her eyes. Surprisingly, she saw fear there. Fear that matched her own. As much as the girl got on her nerves, she respected her resolve. Clarisse's psyche was the last place she'd look for unadulterated fear, yet there it was.

"You've gotten sloppy." The man continued, turning once again to the scientists. "Just like things are about to get if one of you doesn't fucking tell me what I want to know."

One scientist seemed to have had enough. He detached from the group, running to the man to fall down to his knees in front of him and grovel at his feet. He clasped his hands together in a pleading gesture, fear on his face as a confession escaped his lips.

"The abandoned building on Sapphire street. The one that used to be a hospital. You want your answers, that's where you'll find them. Now please, let us go, we're innocent in all this."

The man nodded, seemingly pleased with himself.

"Thank you." He said, sounding legitimately grateful. A look of relief washed over all of the captives' faces. "But I'm sorry to say, you're not innocent. None of you are."

"Wha… What are you talking about." The begging scientist said, scrabbling away from the ma hurriedly.

"All of you want me to believe you were forced to be here. If I were anyone else, it may have worked, but I looked into it. Each and every one of you _chose_ to be here. Luke sought you out because he knew you didn't enjoy things like legality or morals. You chose to partake in human experimentation and torture. You can claim your innocence all you want, but that doesn't change anything. You sealed your fate the moment you signed on with that madman."

"Wait! We gave you what you wanted." One of the scientists sobbed.

"Isn't that worth anything?" another wailed, near hysterics.

"You can't kill us." A third cried.

"Can't I?" the man commented. There was a small pause and then he opened fire.

Ten seconds. That was all it took for him to wipe them out. Hazel and Clarisse had been frozen in shock, unable, and frankly unwilling, to do anything to stop the man as he slaughtered the people who'd clearly been involved in the experimentation and torture of the captives.

When he was done, the man turned back to them expectantly. His posture was stock still, and his features were blank. He made no move to attack them, but he seemed to be tense, waiting to see what they'd do. The only part of him that moved were the fingers on his left hand, patting subtly against his leg. Hazel felt her throat catch. She recognized the gesture.

It couldn't be, could it? It had to be. She'd spent far too much with him for this not to be him. She'd never forget his nervous ticks. The way he'd pat his leg and drum his feet and make snide remarks to hide the fact that he was worried. She knew that leg pat like she knew the back of her hand. She knew who this was. She had to.

She took a hesitant step forward. He didn't. The drumming of his fingers grew stronger. It was him. It had to be.

"Percy?" she asked, her voice hanging with hope.

Clarisse looked at her confusedly, obviously stunned by Hazel's presumption. The man, for his part, seemed completely unsurprised. With a small sigh, he raised his hands, grabbing the sides of his helmet carefully. A brief tug was all it took.

Black hair, unruly and sheening, fell across a tanned forehead. Chiseled cheek bones, a sterling and mischievous smirk, and a sculpted nose came into view. But there was one thing that left no doubt. Green eyes, a sparkling shade of sea green she'd only ever seen in one place stared back at her.

"Hey Hazel." He said, his eyes twinkling with mirth. His faze flickered briefly to the stunned Clarisse before falling back on her. "A few months and you already replaced me? If my self-confidence wasn't so unbelievably high my feelings would almost be hur-"

He was cut off as he was captured in a bone crushing hug. For a moment, he didn't reciprocate, surprised by the suddenness and speed of the gesture. Then, he finally responded, wrapping his arms around her for the first time since he'd left months ago. Hazel smiled into the body armor on his chest, tears streaming unfettered down her cheeks. She wasn't ashamed. She'd found her brother again. She was ecstatic. She wasn't alone anymore.

* * *

**AN:**

**And done. There you are; you have your reunion. I'm sure it wasn't much of a surprise reveal, the second you saw a one-man army wiped out an entire base it was clearly Percy. Even for him before, that was a tall task, but he did it easily. What's different? What answers is he still hoping to find? Where are the captives? Where's Luke? All these questions, and I'm sure so many others. Unfortunately, you forfeited your right to have them answered this chapter purely because I like to keep you hanging. Yeah, I'm cruel like that. Anyways, that's all for me. So please, let me know what you think, and as always, until next time,**

**Peace**


	10. Chapter 9

**AN: Hey guys, I know it's been a while and I'm sorry for that. I got really sick this week, and I was basically laying in bed alternating between melting from my fever of 103 and curled up in a ball thanks to nausea. Luckily, I have since recovered, and in turn provided this new chapter to you all. Please do enjoy the delayed chapter 9 of "All That's Left"**

**XxXxX**

It had only been a few months since he'd left, but he already seemed different from what he was. There was something the slighted bit off, and it was bothering the hell out of her. He was still clearly the same Percy as before, but there was some feeling clinging to him that gave her pause. Some part of him was exuding this animalistic desire for answers, and the obsession was palpable. Even in his silence, it was clear he was more driven that he'd ever been. For someone who'd spent years doing nothing but hunting for justice, that was saying a lot. She'd only just reunited with him, and already she was worried he was pushing himself just a little too hard.

It was difficult to tell what had sparked this change in him, considering he'd barely spoken since they'd reunited. When she had offered to go with him to the abandoned hospital rather than return to base with Clarisse, all she'd gotten was a gruff nod of approval. Since then, conversation had been sparse. Perhaps he simply had nothing to say, but after months of no contact she found that unlikely. There was something eating away at him that hadn't been there months before, she just couldn't figure out what it was.

Percy cast her a sidelong glance as they entered the abandoned building, raising his eyebrows amusedly. Though his features seemed to show he thought her presence, or at the very least her desire to come with him, was silly, his eyes told a different story. They said what he hadn't quite gotten around to yet. They told her that he was glad she'd tagged along. It was comforting to know that even if he was too perturbed by some hidden thing to say it, he still wanted her around.

She raised an eyebrow at him curiously as she ducked into the hospital, prompting him to say something, anything, but he merely shrugged in response. Without a word, he started walking, shooting back a glance to make sure she was following. He led her through the halls of the hospital, silently leading her to god knows where. She wasn't sure if he had any idea where he was going, but he seemed confident, and in her experience it wasn't worth questioning him when he was this sure of himself, so instead she turned her attentions from the stalking man to her surroundings.

It was dark, cold, and creepy inside the abandoned building. The silence was thick, only broken by the light tap as her feet tapped softly against the ground, filling the winding halls with a faint pitter patter. She wasn't sure why the building had been left completely vacant, after all, it had been a state-of-the-art hospital placed in the center of a major metropolis, but whatever the reason, it had been left in a hurry, as evidenced by the mess in their way. Gurney's, IV stands, wheelchairs, and all other sorts of medical equipment were strewn haphazardly throughout the unlit halls, forming odd shaped silhouettes across her path in the darkness.

The ghostly atmosphere of the building, coupled with the eerie silence, the low light, and the fact that the hospital looked like a twister had run through it all contributed to an almost post-apocalyptic vibe. A part of her couldn't help but feel the front door had actually been a portal into some cheesy old horror movie she used to watch with her mom as a kid. Before she could speculate too much over whether a zombie or a serial killer in a hockey mask was more likely to be around the next corner, Percy finally decided to make conversation.

"Why'd you want to come with me?" he asked innocently enough, glancing back at her over his shoulder as he sidestepped a toppled cart.

"You expected me to want to go back with Clarisse?" she asked, a bit affronted. She stepped over the cart, nearly stumbling as her foot hit the ground. "You're not being particularly chatty, but you're still better company than her."

"Can't argue with that." He conceded, seeming somewhat pleased with himself. He glanced back at her again, this time with the faintest smile tugging at his lips.

"Did you _want_ me to go with her?" she asked after a moment. By now, her voice had lost a lot of the confidence it usually held when speaking with him.

At hearing her words, Percy paused abruptly enough that she almost ran into him. Turning, he looked down at her, letting his eyes scan her face for a brief moment before looking away. He let out a breath and started walking again, this time not waiting to make sure she was following. She picked up her own pace, this time catching all the way up and walking side by side with him.

"Well… Did you?" she looked up to him expectantly. Eyes pleading with him to say what she was hoping he would.

"Of course I didn't want you to go with Clarisse…" he fell quiet for a moment, clearly struggling with whatever was next, before continuing in a softer tone. "But I expected you to."

"You really thought I would choose to go with Clarisse over you?" her voice was tinted with disbelief, completely dumbfounded that he though she'd feel that way.

"No, I thought you would choose to go with Clarisse _and_ Jason and Annabeth and all the rest of them over me. I thought you'd choose your life over me."

He looked down at her again as they walked, his face an emotionless mask. If it weren't for his eyes, she'd have no clue what he was thinking. Thankfully, Percy's eyes had always been windows to the emotions he couldn't mask. Whatever he was feeling was sure to be reflected in the sea green of his irises, and right now, in the shadowy halls of an abandoned hospital, his eyes showed sadness. He truly expected her to abandon him the first chance she got. That stung.

"Why would I? You're the only reason I met any of them. The reason I had that life in the first place. You're the reason I'm not a helpless little girl anymore. You're-"

"The reason you almost died." He interrupted; his voice bitter.

She choked on her words, surprised by his. He was looking down at her painfully, like he expected his remark to have knocked some sense into her. It was like he expected her to scorn him right then and there. As soon as she found her ability to speak again, she made to stamp out that expectation.

"Percy, I told you that don't blame you for that months ago."

"That was then. This is now. Things change… Feelings change…"

Hazel shook her head indignantly. She realized what this was. He'd expected her to hate him by now. That over his time gone she'd change her mind, start to blame him, and grow bitter and spiteful towards the man she'd thought of as a brother. He expected her to want him gone as much as everyone else had. She wasn't sure if she should pity him for thinking so little of himself or be angry that he thought she would abandon him.

"Percy, did you want me to hate you?"

He looked away from her, not willing to meet her eyes. After a breath, he mumbled something under his breath, far too muffled to make out.

"What'd you say?" she implored, not allowing him to get away from the question so easily.

Stepping closer to him, she grabbed his hand, reaching out to prevent him from walking away. When he felt her hand on his, he didn't pull away. Instead, he reluctantly stopped in his tracks, turning slowly to face her. Letting out a heavy breath, he peered down at her before he finally choked out one word in a low and guarded whisper.

"Yes."

She recoiled from the word like it was acid stinging her skin. Backing a few steps away, she put distance between the two of them, wracking her brain to figure just why he would say that.Why he would want that. She could barely believe what she was hearing. It just didn't make any sense.

"Why? Why would you want that?" the pain in her voice was prominent, and she did nothing to conceal it.

"I…" he ran a hand through his hair as he gathered his thoughts, though his face looked pained. "It's just… I thought that if you hated me, it would be easier for you having me gone. I thought if you hated me, you wouldn't have to live with the fact that someone you love almost got you killed. I thought if you hated me, then finally I would feel like someone who hates me deserves to hate me. I thought it was what I deserved."

"Oh, Percy." Without a thought, she burst into action, trapping him in a vice grip of a hug. Hot tears threatened to squeeze out of her eyes as she clenched them shut. Her heart was heavy as she thought of just how much he must still be hurting over what happened to her for him to feel this way. She always knew loyalty was important to him, but now it was clearer than ever. He hated himself for what happened, more than he'd let on even, she could see as much. She just wouldn't accept it.

"Percy, I told you before, I'm not mad at you for what happened, and I never was. I knew the risks when I signed on to work with you, I knew the risks when we went in there alone, and I know the risks of working with you now. I don't hate you for that. The only thing that could make me hate you is if you spiral out of control over this stupid misguided guilt and self-loathing."

He didn't say anything for a while, instead opting to sink into her hug, returning the favor weakly. Numbly, she tried to enforce her feelings through the tightness of her arms around his chest. She wanted, ached for, _needed_, him to know that he was wrong about this. Finally, he disengaged, holding her at arm's length as he finally spoke again.

"Alright." He breathed out. "No more 'stupid misguided guilt and self-loathing', I pinky promise."

He held out a pinky to her as they started walking again, a silent invitation to seal the deal. With a smile she reached out, intwining her pinky with his. She liked to imagine that thunder boomed overhead, sealing the pinky promise with some innate power.

"So… What was that you said about the risks of working with me now? Who said you're working with me again?" he said playfully, raising a contentious eyebrow.

"I did. Just now. You left once; I'm not letting you do it again." Her voice was soft but firm. She wasn't backing down on this issue, and she wanted him to know that. Thankfully, if the smile on his face was anything to go by, he didn't seem keen on fighting with her about it. It might have been a front, but for now at least she was going to pretend he wasn't still beating himself up inside his head like she knew he probably was.

"The thing is, if you work with me again, that means I'm kind of working with Jason and friends… I'm not so sure they'll like that idea very much. They might even resent you for it." he teased. She shook her head emphatically in denial. A couple of months ago, she would've conceded he had a point, but now? She wasn't so sure.

"Actually, I think they might have warmed up to the idea." She said, allowing the faintest trace of encouragement to fill her voice. "Didn't you notice how Clarisse _didn't _try and shoot you the second you lost your helmet?"

"Yeah, I guess, but I've always been quicker to shoot than Clarisse anyways. She wasn't going to risk her life over a vendetta. As spiteful as she is, she's a soldier. And dying isn't very pragmatic for soldiers. Not shooting me doesn't mean she wants to work with me."

Unfortunately, Hazel was forced to nod in agreement. He had a point there. Percy could've killed both her and Clarisse easily even if they'd been trying to kill him, and he knew they knew that, which meant he was right. Clarisse's lack of shooting technically said nothing more than 'I'd prefer not to die right now.'

"Still, like you said." Hazel argued, not giving up. "'Things change. People change.' You've been gone a while, I bet they'd be much more open to the idea of a Percy Jackson welcome home party now than they were a few months ago."

He looked down at her curiously, urging her to continue as they rounded a corner. She could tell what she was hinting at had him intrigued at the very least. She'd piqued his interest, and that was a start.

"You see, after you left, things started to go downhill." She averted her eyes, attempting to mask the pain and shame she felt for all of their failures since his departure. "Jason was afraid to send people out alone to complete the assignments you used to complete, instead using whole groups. Without you taking care of the big stuff by yourself, we didn't have enough people to do everything, and then things started to get… Bad."

"That's dumb." Percy cut off, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "There are plenty of capable people there. If nobody else, Jason himself could have handled anything I did."

"Percy, Jason is probably the only person who could take on any of the missions you used to do all alone. Unfortunately, if Jason was out running around all night like we used to do, there would be no one to run things back at the base. As much as he's an actual soldier, Jason is kind of a pencil pusher."

Percy let out a bark of laughter at that. It wasn't something he hadn't called Jason a hundred times before, but it was funny to hear someone else say it.

"I suppose that's true… But really, that's not all that bad. I doubt anyone, even me, should have been doing half of the crazy shit I was doing."

"You say that like you stopped doing crazy stuff. Is attacking one of Luke's bases by yourself not crazy?" She gave him a pointed look, to which he had the good grace to blush sheepishly under.

"I suppose it is. But I only said things and feelings change. People don't. I don't think I'll ever stop doing crazy shit. It's in my blood." He smiled cheerfully, clearly enjoying the return of the repartee that they'd lost months ago.

"How'd you know about that base anyway?" she asked curiously. She'd been wondering this entire time, but his previously unbroken silence had warded off her asking until now.

"Recon." He shot her a wink but didn't elaborate. "So, back to Jason and crew. You're telling me they'd want me back now because they're undermanned?"

"Unfortunately, being undermanned wasn't the worst of it." She admitted.

Almost as if a vacuum had sucked the life out of them both, the gradually lightening atmosphere darkened again. She knew where this conversation was leading, and Percy had the instincts to tell it was going somewhere bad. Percy's smile fell as he felt her mood change, waving a hand to signal for her to continue. Nodding in understanding, she took a shuddering breath before starting to recount the major event that defined the group since his departure.

She fought back the trembling in her lip. She knew Percy wouldn't think less of her for showing emotion, but she was trying to hold it in all the same. Plenty of times the two had vented to and leaned on each other, but she didn't want this to be one of those times. She didn't want to need him for this. For some reason, this time, she wanted to be strong alone. With a gulp, she began speaking slowly and delicately, each word falling like glittering teardrops from her lip.

"About a week after you left, Jason came up with a plan. He wanted to go back to Luke's base, investigate it, and steal their files. We all agreed it was necessary. There were too many unanswered questions, and without you we were getting nowhere just working the streets. We had a way in, we had the people to do it, and we had the people to get the information we needed. All we needed was to do it."

"That's a ballsy play." Percy admitted. "An operation like that would've taken nearly everyone you had."

"It did." Hazel gulped. "And this time, there was way more than just Luke waiting for us."

"Don't tell me…" he trailed off, scowling as he pushed through a doorway.

She didn't respond, mostly because she couldn't quite force herself to vocalize the severity of their losses. Instead, she gave a watery nod, which said more than words ever could. His face morphed into one of guilt, shame, and regret.

"How bad?"

"Too bad."

He wiped a hand across his face, groaning into his palm. He stopped in place, forcing her to stop as well.

"What the hell am I supposed to do?" he hissed, whirring away from her.

"What do you mean?" she reached out a comforting hand, extending for his back, but he was just out of reach.

"If I'm there, people die. If I leave, people die. No matter what I do, people keep dying. I need to end this."

"Percy, you're not any more at fault for people dying than anyone else is. We're up against a murderous gang of goons led by a crazed mad man. People are going to die no matter what any of us do. That's just the way it is." She insisted.

Percy stalked away from her, leaning his head against the cool brick wall. His voice was cold and muffled, bouncing back to her from the chilled stone.

"That's the problem, Hazel." He snarled. "I _am_ more at fault than them."

"How?" she cried.

"Because I should've been better!" he reached back, slamming his fist against the wall.

He struck with so much force, his hand should've shattered from the impact. Contrary to her prediction, the wall is what gave way, exploding inward in an explosion of cement, dust, and old chipping paint. When she recovered from her shock, she glanced between Percy and the hole in the wall. How was that even possible?

"Percy, what was that?" she said eyes wide in awestricken wonder.

He looked down at his hand for a moment, slowly flexing and unflexing his fingers like he was trying to make sure his hand was still there. As her eyes followed his, she was able to closer examine his hand. The skin was nearly completely unmarred. Barring the slightest redness on the knuckles, there was nothing to indicate he'd just punched a hole through a brick wall.

Percy seemed equally impressed with himself, but not necessarily surprised. Almost like he couldn't _believe _what he had just done, but he still wasn't surprised by it. After a few more moments of intense hand examination, it seemed he had assured himself that yes, all five fingers were still intact. Satisfied, he looked to her, a contrite smile on his face as he started walking.

"That," he said weakly, "Is why I should've been better. I'm cybernetic Hazel, I just didn't know it."

Her eyes widened at the revelation.

"That doesn't even make any sense. How can you be cybernetic and not know about it? I'm pretty sure we would've noticed an invincible hand before."

"Because it's not just a super strong hand. I don't know how it happened, but I have a cybernetic enhancement in my brain."

"In your… Your brain?" she let the question linger for a while as he tried to think of the best way to explain.

"Yeah. My brain."

"And it… Makes your hand strong." She said confusedly. A brain enhancement was a rather unorthodox way to go about improving hand durability.

"No. It's different than that. Far more complex. It… It makes my whole body stronger. The longer I have this enhancement in me, the more it affects me. It increases my speed, my strength, my reaction time, my energy levels, my durability, everything. I'm so in shape right now, I'm pretty sure I have the resting heartrate of a Galapagos tortoise."

Hazel couldn't believe it. He was implying he had a cybernetic enhancement that constantly improved your physical capabilities? Sure, Frank, one of the people in Jason's group who had often captured before her arrival, had a similar ability to alter his bodies capabilities, but that was only temporarily. Percy was making this sound… Permanent.

"That's…"

"Impossible? Amazing? Ridiculous? All three? I said the same, plus a bunch of other fun adjectives. But apparently, the world has less limitations than what we previously though."

"But it just doesn't make sense. Cybernetics sap off the user's energy, which is why they're always only able to be activated on a temporary basis. If they were always active, they'd literally drink up the user's energy. No human has the energy, physical strength, or athletic capabilities to maintain a constantly running cybernetic."

Percy smiled at her as the irony in what she was saying smacked her across the face.

"Unless the cybernetic itself increases my energy, physical strength, and athletic capabilities." Percy said slowly, watching the realization fall across her features.

"It literally feeds itself its own resources by making you an infinite supplier. That's… That's unparalleled levels of genius. But… You said you didn't know how you got it, which means…"

"I've always had it; I just don't know why, or who gave it to me."

"But if you've always had it, why are you only now receiving the benefits?"

"I think we partially did see the benefits. I was always a little bit faster, stronger, more agile, than anyone had a right to be, but it was within the realm of possibility so we all just accepted it. Back then, the chip hadn't needed the power yet, so it didn't increase my body function too suspiciously. Over time, as it increased my brain function, the chip increased my body function alongside it in an attempt to make sure I could still support the chip, which is leading to the more obvious effects like… You know… Punching through walls."

Hazel shook her head in confusion.

"Whoa, back up. Increased brain function?" Hazel said incredulously. Just how powerful was this thing?

"Oh right. That. You see, the increased physical abilities aren't even what the chip is intended for. They're kind of a… Happy side effect. That's the genius of whoever designed this thing and put it inside my brain. Its real purpose is to improve my brain, not my body. The chip, it expedites the creation of neural pathways in my brain. Essentially making me learn things at an inhuman rate. The physical benefits are only there to make sure the chip can stay running all the time."

"That's why you can shoot like Jason and snipe like Frank without their military training. You learn too fast."

"All the training they gave me took a few days, and I was as good as them." Percy said with a nod. "That's how sophisticated this technology is. I learn like a computer, but act like a human. Cool, isn't it?"

In a daze, she was pretty sure she felt her mouth fall open and she didn't even try to hide it. What she was hearing was truly mind blowing. Whoever had given Percy this cybernetic enhancement, they had to be the single smartest person on the planet. The pure technological skill required was immense, and far beyond anything in the field she'd ever heard of. Even to a girl who grew up in Sapphire City, the so called 'city of the future' this felt like science fiction.

"How'd you even find any of this out." She breathed out.

She was afraid if she said any more, she'd collapse. This news was world shatteringly surprising. Contrary to her shock, Percy seemed like he'd already dealt with all of this. And he seemed pleased about it too.

"I met a friend while I was gone. He figured it out and explained all this stuff to me. His name is Beckendorf. He's a real tinkerer, just like Leo. Only, he had more experience with cybernetics and weapons than even Leo does. Unlike Leo, who just has a knack for the stuff along with being a mechanical mastermind, Beck actually trained for this. Worked for Hephaestus Inc. and everything. According to him, he's a bastard son of the CEO of Hephaestus Inc. I believe him too."

"Where'd you meet this guy?" she asked, finding it hard to believe he was just able to stumble across someone _better_ at making crazy things than Leo freaking Valdez.

"Crazily enough, on the streets. He quit his job to look for his missing girlfriend, Silena. Unfortunately for Beck, he may have gotten all the intelligence from dear old CEO dad, but he got none of the inheritance, putting him squarely between poor and dead broke after a few months of searching. Luckily for him, he met me, and I had a certain interest in his case."

"Because of the missing girlfriend. You think it was Luke?" Hazel hissed the name, as she always did. Every time it came from her mouth, it sounded more vile than the last.

"Exactly. I explained everything I knew about Luke and his kidnapping human experimentation ring. Then, when I told how thoroughly committed I was to saving everyone and forcing Luke to eat his own genitalia, he was more than eager to help out. I wasn't so sure how much weight my recommendations held with Jason anymore, so instead of sending him to you guys, he's been helping me out. He figured out all this cybernetic mumbo jumbo and explained it to me, so in turn I gave him a place to stay. In return for me, you know, killing the absolute shit out of Luke Castellan in the future, he offered to make me some kickass body armor, this kickass gun, and a whole lot of other cool shit."

As he spoke, they pushed through another doorway, this time opening into a massive room filled with row after row of shelves. Each one was filled with stacks of cardboard boxes. All over the floor, various files and folders were strewn about.

"That's amazing." She admitted. "I'd like to meet him, if you don't mind."

Percy smiled at her, a full and genuine one. She'd missed that smile.

"I was hoping you'd say that." Percy chirped. "I'm headed there after this. Just had to get what I came here for."

For the first time in a while, Hazel's mind drifted from the conversation to their actual reason for coming here. The entire time, it had felt so much like a reunion turned game of twenty questions turned old friends chatting, she'd completely forgot they were in a creepy abandoned hospital for a reason.

"Right, what did we come here for anyways." She asked, looking at him curiously, realizing he'd never really told her. "There's so many different questions I have just from your short little recap. Who gave you the cybernetic? Why don't you remember it? Is it dangerous? How strong will it make you before either your brain or body can't take it? Does anyone else have one like it? Does-"

He held up a hand to cut her off, chuckling as he did so. With a sheepish smile, Hazel stopped her rambling.

"You done?" he said, eyebrows raised amusedly.

She reached up to her mouth and dragged her fingers across her lips, a silent promise to keep them shut and let him speak. Frankly, she was a little embarrassed she'd gotten so carried away. In the past few months, she'd forgotten how chatty Percy made her.

"We're not here for any of that." Percy said, stopping at a seemingly random shelf. "Or at least, I'm not here for any of that. You might be, but I doubt you'll answer any of those questions here. It's an abandoned hospital, not a secret underground scientists evil lair."

"I don't know, the creepy levels around here be to differ." Hazel argued, glancing over her shoulder. She wasn't sure why, but as soon as they'd entered this room, she'd felt like she was being watched. That didn't sit well with her at all.

"Well," Percy said, reaching up and grabbing a cardboard box off the shelf. "We'll be out of here before the creepy levels get too high, I promise. I've almost got it."

"Got what?" she said, watching as he rifled through the many files stored inside the box.

"This," he said triumphantly, yanking out a file from somewhere near the middle of the box. "My mother's file."

Hazel's eyes widened, understanding the gravity of the situation. This was huge. For months, Percy had lamented over the fact that both he and his mother had no records in any database anywhere, yet here one was. She had to fight back a chuckle. It was humorous, in an odd sort of way, that in a world so entrenched in technological advancement, the only way Percy could find the truth was through old school pen and paper.

"Percy that's amazing! How'd you even know that would be here?"

He looked up from the cool cover of the unopened file, a small smirk on his face.

"The files are sorted in alphabetical order, Hazel."

"That's not what I meant." She crossed her arms in mock anger.

"I know what you meant." He said gently. "Remember, the scientist at the base told me I'd find answers here? He knew what I was looking for. I've been interrogating Luke's goons for weeks assuming they were behind my mother and I's erased records, and I assume word got around. I knew at least one person would know where I could find them. It was Beckendorf who suggested looking for physical copies. Together, the two of them led me here."

She nodded in understanding. It made sense. And better, it had worked.

"So, is yours in there too?"

He frowned in frustration, causing her heart to sink. All that effort, and he was still only halfway to the truth. Even when Percy won, he lost. With a despondent look on his face, he opened his mother's file. At least he had that victory to celebrate.

When he looked into the file though, his face warped in confusion. He babbled a few incomprehensible words of nothing before she realized something was wrong. A terrible feeling filled her stomach, one that she hadn't felt so strongly since she'd been in that lab staring down the barrel of Luke Castellan's gun.

"What is it?" she asked gently, hoping not to upset him further.

"This can't be right." He muttered, handing the file to her. Her eyes fell on what was bothering him just as the words tore like shattered glass into his tongue. "It says Sally Jackson has been dead for thirty years."

**AN: And we're done. I really hope you enjoyed. I know it was extremely dialogue heavy, but come on, Percy and Hazel just got reunited, they're not going to just not talk. Now about what you read. First, yes, another cliff hanger, sorry, but it had to be done. I gave you too much information this chapter for me not to dangle a cliff hanger and even more questions in your face. That would just be unfun. Second, about what you did learn. Basically, you got a glimpse into what Percy has been up to, including meeting our good pal Beckendorf and discovering his strong ass enhancement. Now I know you're saying "Wow, Percy's cybernetic enhancement is OP" but trust me, it's not as great as you think. Think about it, that much power won't come without consequence. Also, I seem to remember someone else in this story who also seemed to have movement too fast to be human. What could that mean? Hmmmm? Okay, now I'm handing out hints like candy. I should stop. Sorry. As always, I hope you enjoyed, and am glad to finally have another chapter out for you. Please let me know what you thought as always. Until next time,**

**Peace**


	11. Chapter 10

**AN: Another chapter here, courtesy of yours truly. We're getting closer and closer to the end, but never fear, there's still a good amount of story left. That being said, buckle up, because from here on out, things are going to be pretty wild.**

* * *

**XxXxX**

Hazel looked up at the massive factory in front of her, not missing the smatterings of rust, broken windows, and assorted piles of debris decorating the premises. A barbed wire fence ran around the outskirts of the factory grounds, sealing it away from any would be interlopers. Every twenty-five feet or so, there was a sign warning of radioactive waste beyond the fence line in bold lettering. Through the chain links of the old fence, she could see foliage growing, the beginning signs of nature starting to take back what the factory had used to own. All things considered; it wasn't the most inviting place she'd ever seen. In all honesty, if there was a more inconspicuous place to make a hideout than this factory, she'd be surprised. Most people would give this factory a wide berth plus some, making it more than ideal for someone like Percy to hide.

"Are you sure we're in the right place?" she asked anyways, shooting a hesitant look towards her companion. Although she knew they probably were, she was still hoping for a chance to steer clear of the supposed radiation that was waiting for her inside.

"About eighty percent sure, give or take a few percent." He said with a playful wink, seemingly unbothered by her clear trepidation. Either that, or he was outright amused by it.

With a bounce in his step, he led her further along the fence line, dragging his fingers against the small squares of crossing metal wires as he went. Soon, they came to a part of the fence that was cleanly detached from the nearest post, suspiciously like it had been cut through with wire cutters. Percy grabbed the disconnected piece of the fence, peeling it back to create a gap just large enough for both of them to squeeze through.

"VIP access." He said with a smile, waving towards the gap like a butler. She rolled her eyes at him but ducked through the gap in the fence anyways. Percy was soon to follow, making sure the fence was securely rolled back into place behind him before catching up to her.

"So… About the radioactive waste…" she trailed off, thinking back to the ominous signs she'd seen around the building. She hoped her question was obvious.

"No worries." Percy replied, waving his hand dismissively. "Beckendorf and I have been hiding out here for months, and neither of us have noticed any side effects… Other than that eleventh toe I'm growing."

For a moment, she was almost shocked. A small glance at Percy's smirking face told her he was just messing with her, which shouldn't have come as a surprise. For most people, it would have been odd having him joke around so soon after learning news as shocking as his mother apparently dying before he was even born, but this was Percy. Hazel, unlike most, knew Percy extremely well, which meant she knew that Percy liked to use humor as a defense mechanism sometimes in order to ignore the elephant in the room. Still, the mystery regarding Sally Jackson was one uncomfortably large elephant to ignore, even for him. It might not be the healthiest thing to ignore what he was feeling about the revelation, but it was what he needed, so she decided to play along with the lightheartedness and pretend they hadn't just learned such earth-shattering news. At least for now that is.

"Very funny." she scoffed, rolling her eyes at him. She dragged her feet through a particularly lengthy tuft of grass as she walked. It nipped at her ankles like a small dog, nearly making her stumble midsentence. "Where is this Beckendorf guy anyway? This place is huge."

"It's not much further." Percy consoled, pointing towards the largest building just up ahead. "He's probably on the factory floor. That's where his workshop is set up, and he usually spends most of his time there. Can't put down the machines."

"So he's like Leo then?" she inquired, raising a questioning eyebrow. It was a fair question. Leo was the same way if what Percy was implying about Beckendorf was true. The Latino could never be away from his tools for too long.

"Kind of." Percy laughed jovially, as if there was something humorous in comparing Beckendorf to Leo. "They both need to work on things to feel comfortable, that's for sure. But other than that… Actually, I'll just let you see for yourself."

She wondered exactly what he meant, but she knew he wasn't going to volunteer that information any time soon. Percy always had a flair for the dramatic, so she wasn't surprised he was trying to build suspense. She gave a weak shrug, resigned to waiting, before she continued to follow him. He led her to a small hidden door on the side of the massive building he'd pointed out to her. The door was sequestered behind a tall patch of weeds, grass, and vines, making it almost impossible to notice if you didn't know what you were looking for. Without a doubt, Percy had left it in that condition on purpose as a way to make sure any would be intruders would struggle to find it.

Pushing by the thick foliage that hid it from view, Percy peeled open the door. The hinges were old and rusty, causing them to erupt with an ear wrenching screech as the door swung open. She winced as the noise reached her eardrums. It was painfully irritating, almost enough to make her clamp her hands over her ears.

"Have you considered oiling the hinges?" she complained through gritted teeth. She stepped through the door with a grimace, sending one last glare towards the creaky door as she did.

"Of course I have. The sound is awfully annoying." Percy explained. "But it's a lot easier to know if someone's coming when the door is as loud and obnoxious as that one is. There's no sleeping through that." She had to concede that point, it was a valid one, but it still didn't make her any fonder of the obnoxious entrance.

Turning her attention from the creaky door and her unnatural hatred of it towards her newfound surroundings, she saw almost exactly what she'd been expecting from the old factory. The floor was concrete, with cracks running through the cool stone like little rivers, each off shooting into several even smaller distributaries. Conveyor belts lined the massive open floor of the factory, leading in winding paths as they snaked through various machines. Up overhead, several intersecting catwalks extended across the entire building, illuminated by sunlight filtering through cracked windows.

Strewn about the conveyor belts, concrete floor, and massive machines, were piles of small cans, all marked with the name, "Poseidon's Tuna" in fancy lettering. That would explain the faint, but noticeable scent of fish that had tickled her nose upon entrance. The entire place was a vivid reminder of the fact that before Sapphire City was the technological goliath it was now; it had been a simple port city, running on the haul fisherman could pull from the sea. Absent-mindedly, she wondered if Sapphire City's woes would be so severe if it had remained a fishing town. It seemed all the tech industry had brought was classist rich folk and tech-mongering gangs.

Across the building, she could hear the distant sound of something striking metal. The banging was loud and rhythmic, repeating in a powerful and ominous cadence that sounded like a drumbeat designed to drive her every step as she marched towards some sinister doom. Some ancient, instinctual, primal part of her was telling her to turn cheek and run, but she knew that was a silly notion, so she shrugged it off. The logical side of her brain knew that it as probably Beckendorf working on something, as Percy predicted he would be doing.

Following Percy, the sound grew louder and louder. They were definitely headed towards it, and as they got closer, she became certain Percy was right. The sound, when this close was much more familiar, easily identifiable as exactly the same noise that rang from Leo's workshop night and day. She'd passed by the workshop more than enough times to recognize a hammer on metal from this close.

They continued to approach the sound of hammering, footfalls drowned out by the heavy clattering. As they rounded a corner, the banging stopped suddenly, almost in perfect junction with their arrival. Beckendorf must've heard them approach, a surprise considering the loud banging he'd been the center of. The newfound silence produced by Beckendorf's halted hammering was broken by Percy's yell just as the man in question entered their sightline, back turned away from them as he hunched over a table.

"Yo, Beck! I'm back!" Percy shouted, raising a hand in greeting. He had an easy smile on his face, like he'd been through this routine a hundred times. In fairness, he probably had.

The man turned to greet them and, okay, Hazel had to admit, she could see why Percy had thought comparing Leo to Beckendorf was funny. Leo was a short, almost as short as her, Latino boy who wouldn't weigh much soaking wet. He was a serious contender for head elf if Santa ever decided to relocate to South America. Beckendorf on the other hand was about as far from elf as humans got. As far as people went, the two were on opposite ends of the spectrum.

By Hazel's typical assessment, Percy Jackson, much like Jason Grace, was a very tall, and very large man. Beckendorf was easily bigger than both of them. He was huge, with arms like squeezing pythons coming out of his sweat soaked shirt. He was holding a hammer that had to weigh more than her in one hand as if it was a loaf of bread, and he was grinning a lazy grin at both of them. His eyes were warm and welcoming, and despite the fact that he was easily over a foot taller than her, and could probably rip her in half as easily as he would a piece of paper, she couldn't help but feel as safe with him as if she'd known him for years already. She hadn't met him properly yet, but if Percy's endorsement wasn't enough, seeing how friendly he seemed was. She could tell she was going to like him.

"Percy, glad you're not dead." Beckendorf said, his voice deep and rich, not exactly a surprise given his size. He reached out a massive hand, grasping Percy's forearm in greeting. "And this must be Hazel?" he continued, turning towards her.

"I… Uh… How'd you know it was me? I mean. Uh… Pleasure to meet you." She stumbled out, extending a dainty hand in greeting.

He shook it gingerly, careful not to crush her hand in his like he so easily could have. His hand, rough and calloused, swallowed hers whole. The size difference between their hands was comical, even to her, forcing her to bite back a giggle. If Percy's smirk off to the side was anything to go by, just them standing next to each other was an equally humorous sight.

"Oh please." Beckendorf said, shooting a teasing glance at Percy. "I've heard so much about you from Perce that it doesn't even feel like my first time meeting you."

"Is that so?" Hazel said, shooting a sly grin towards Percy.

"I might've mentioned you a few times." Percy muttered, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"A few?" Beckendorf interjected, clearly jumping at the chance to embarrass Percy. "He wouldn't shut up about you and how proud he was. Hazel this, Hazel that. I seriously recommend you appoint him president of your fan club as soon as possible."

"I guess I'll consider it." She said drily, chuckling to herself. After her gentle laughter had subsided, she schooled her features best she could. Outwardly, she seemed rather unmoved by Beckendorf's words, but that was only because she was hiding just how pleased she was to know that Percy would rave about her like a parent who couldn't see any fault in their child. It was the same feeling she got as a kid when her mom would put her terrible macaroni art up on the fridge. It felt good to have someone you looked up to take so much pride in you.

"That's good to hear. I bet he already has the t-shirts made." Beck said, shooting her a grin. The massive tinkerer turned from her now, suddenly all business, raising one bushy eyebrow at Percy in an inquiring look. "Perce, did you happen to pick up what I needed while you were out?"

"Of course I did." Percy scoffed. He seemed insulted that Beckendorf was questioning whether he succeeded or not.

Reaching into his pockets, Percy started to rummage around for what Beckendorf wanted. He dug around for a few moments, seemingly making a show of not being able to find whatever it was, before finally producing Beckendorf's mystery item. In a flash, Percy lobbed it over to Beckendorf, too quickly for Hazel to make out what it was. All she could see was a flash of silver, which told her it was most likely a part of some kind. Odd, she didn't remember seeing Percy pick anything like that up.

Curiously, she looked to Percy, letting her face do the talking. He seemed to notice her interest but shook his head gently rather than elaborating. He mouthed the word 'Later' and gave an apologetic smile, then turned back to Beckendorf. She frowned but accepted that some things would have to wait.

"How many more of those things do you need?" Percy asked, still being cryptic about exactly what that _thing_ was.

"Just a few more, and then I'll be able to finish up." Beckendorf responded, opening a drawer and dropping in the mystery object. "If we're lucky, my design will work perfectly."

"I'm sure it will." Percy reassured him, clapping him on the shoulder. "And when it does, we'll be one step closer to taking care of Luke. We'll have Silena back in no time."

Beckendorf smiled gratefully at Percy, seemingly comforted by his words. He turned and shot a loving look towards the table he'd been hunched over, causing Hazel's eyes to follow his gaze. His sightline led her to a framed photograph on the workbench, proudly displaying a picture of Beckendorf with his arm thrown around a beautiful girl. That must be Silena. She could see the love in both of their eyes, clear as day. It was no wonder the blacksmith seemed so anxious to save her.

"Yeah, about that." Hazel interrupted, drawing both of their attentions. "It might go faster if you guys come back with me. To work with Jason again. You know, 'teamwork makes the dream work' and all that jazz."

"What's she talking about? I thought they gave you the boot?" Beckendorf asked, looking to Percy accusingly.

"They did." Percy reaffirmed, wiping a hand across his face in frustration. "Hazel seems convinced that Jason and the rest of them will welcome me with open arms if I want back in. And if that's the case, they'll let you join too. The problem is, I'm still not entirely convinced that they're ready to hang the 'welcome back' banners just yet."

"But if they are ready to take you back then she's right. It would mean we could take down Luke sooner." Beckendorf argued before turning to Hazel. "Are you sure they'll be okay with it?"

She nodded emphatically, giving an encouraging smile but saying nothing else. She could tell this wasn't going to be a hard sell for Beckendorf, so she wasn't going to overplay it. It was obvious that the big guy was in the moment she had suggested they'd get Silena back faster. All she needed now was for Beckendorf to sell the idea to Percy. She crossed her fingers behind her back, hoping he would succeed where she had so far failed.

"We have to do it, Percy." Beckendorf implored, stepping towards his friend. "If there's even a chance it'll speed things up, we have to. I know they kicked you out of the organization you started and that stings. I understand that you'd be bitter about that. I know that you think you're a danger to others, and you bring death wherever you go, but that doesn't matter. This entire situation with Luke is dangerous. If there's just the tiniest chance that it'll make finding Silena faster, then-"

Percy held up a hand, cutting Beckendorf off midsentence. Hazel bit her lip hopefully, crossing her fingers behind her back. Beckendorf for his part, was giving Percy pleading puppy dog eyes, comical coming from someone so large. Percy rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment, looking between the two before letting out a heaving sigh.

"Of course we're going to do it. I may not like it, but it'll speed things up." Percy said finally, a small smile ghosting its way onto his face. "Besides, I've never been very patient anyway."

**XxXxX**

Thousands of scenarios had played through Hazel's mind when she imagined Percy returning. She'd imagined everyone welcoming Percy back with open arms, glad to see him finally return. She'd imagined them starting off adverse to the idea but accepting it, slowly warming up to his return over time. She'd imagined them outright rejecting him, forcing him to leave again without remorse. She'd imagined every scenario between those, plus thousands of other outlandish ones that danced between unlikely and impossible. Of all those imagined outcomes, a whopping zero of them served to prepare her even slightly for what she was met with upon entering the base she had once called home.

Rather than being met by familiar faces as she expected, the second they stepped off the elevator, they were met by what seemed to be the aftermath of a complete warzone. Furniture was tipped over, riddled with bullet holes, presumably from being used as cover. The ground was wet, but covered in scorch marks, trademark signs of fires being put out by the sprinkler system. Several of the walls and pillars holding up the roof had chunks blown clean off, not to mention their own generous smatterings of bullet holes. The entire place was a battlefield. That, or Jason hired a painfully talentless interior decorator.

"What the hell happened here?" Beckendorf muttered, slowly stepping out into the base. His eyes darted across the entire room with confusion. He hadn't been there before, but even he knew something was terribly wrong.

"Nothing good." Percy replied, raising an arm to point up ahead. Following his finger, they saw the lower half of a body just around a corner, lying motionless in a pool of red. "Luke must've found the base."

A hand flew up to Hazel's mouth, catching a gasp just before it escaped her throat. It couldn't be, could it? There was no way Luke was able to attack their base, it was hidden underground and protected by biometric scanners. It should've been impossible to breach.

"That shouldn't have mattered." Hazel argued, voicing her thought. "It's not possible to get down here without someone inside letting you in."

"I know." Percy said slowly, looking down to Hazel with a grim expression on his face.

"You think someone let them in?" Beckendorf asked, catching on to Percy's thinking. "Would anyone here even do that?"

"I didn't think so." Percy replied with a shake of his head. He slowly swept a hand across the room, gesturing towards the wreckage. "Obviously I was wrong."

The three of them shared concerned looks with each other. If a traitor had let Luke in, their plan to team up with Jason had already seriously backfired.

"So now what do we do?" Hazel mumbled, glancing to the fallen body Percy had pointed to. Right now she was in shock, her brain still not fully processing the severity of the situation.

"Well first, we look for survivors." Percy pressed his mouth into a thin line, reaching to his waist to draw his handgun.

He stepped out in front of them, pistol raised and ready, and they began their trek around the base. The longer they walked, the sicker to her stomach Hazel became. Each room was more gruesome than the last. The ground was wet and sticky with blood, with shell casings floating in the blood like bronzed lily pads. The whole building reeked of char, gunpowder, and death. She did her best to avoid looking into the still open eyes of the many cold lifeless bodies left to rot. Some were unfamiliar faces, most likely Luke's henchman that had died in the attack, but most were faces she recognized. Her friends.

"Jesus." Beckendorf grumbled, stepping over a particularly mutilated corpse. "I don't think anyone survived."

Hazel swallowed a lump in her throat. She was beginning to think the same thing but had been afraid to voice it. Some part of her was worried she would speak it into existence if she did.

"They're all gone?" she asked hopelessly, feeling tears form at the corners of her eyes.

"No." Percy said, looking down dismally at another body. "They didn't get everyone."

"How can you be so sure?" Hazel breathed out, still refusing to look down, even as Percy nudged the body with his toe.

"Because." Percy answered, holstering his pistol. "Look at this body."

"Do I have to?" Hazel whined, still not looking down.

"That depends. Did you tell Jason I was coming back with you?"

"Of course I did. I didn't want to bring you or Beckendorf unannounced. I didn't think that would go over so well. I sent him a message this morning."

"I figured." Percy said, looking down at the body, head tilted to the side curiously.

"I don't see what that has to do with this dead guy." Beckendorf interrupted, looking curiously at the body at their feet.

"It has everything to do with this dead guy." Percy explained, squatting down to get a closer look at him. "Because Jason knew I was coming. Which means Jason knew I would notice this."

Hazel was forced to look down, too intrigued by Percy's deduction to let her uneasiness stop her. Thankfully, the body belonged to one of Luke's men, which meant she didn't have to feel too uncomfortable. By now, she was used to dead bodies, as long as they didn't belong to her friends.

"Look." Percy said, pointing towards the dead man's mouth. "How many guys try to eat paper right before they succumb to their bullet wounds?"

Peering into the man's mouth, Hazel could see what he was pointing too. Tucked away in the man's cheek, barely visible thanks to the darkness in the man's barely agape jaw, she could see the corner of a folded-up note. How Percy spotted it, or how Jason knew Percy would be able to spot it, she'd probably never know. Percy reached a hand into the man's mouth without any hesitation, withdrawing the paper and unfolding it as he stood up.

"He left a message in a dead man's mouth?" Beckendorf asked incredulously, peering over Percy's shoulder.

"Yup." Percy chirped, popping the p. "It's our agreed upon location if we have nowhere else to hide a message."

"You couldn't choose a more sanitary form of communication than a dead man's mouth?" Hazel cried, finally tearing her eyes from the corpse to look at the note in disgust.

"It was my idea." Percy admitted, holding back a chuckle. "I thought the irony of using a dead guy's mouth as a dead drop was too good not to. Jason wasn't able to convince me otherwise."

Hazel groaned, shaking her head. Somehow, she was still blown away by his childishness after all this time.

"Well. What does it say?" Beckendorf asked, drawing their attention back to the note. Percy nodded, turning back to the note and clearing his throat.

"To whom it may concern," Percy said, eyes scrunched in concentration as he read. "It is with a heavy heart that I report a death in the family. Although we are all morose in these trying times, I hope it will console your aching heart to know that I, along with the rest of our beloved family, will be carrying on in their memory. If you wish to mourn with us, we will be holding the funeral where it all began. With luck, we will see you there. Regards, Uncle Z."

"Well that makes no sense." Hazel said throwing her hands up in the air in disappointment.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Beckendorf said slowly, casting a scrutinizing gaze at Percy's calculating face. He obviously knew something they didn't.

"What do you-"

"Beck's right." Percy cut her off. "The message means that Jason is alive, and at least a few others are as well. They made it out, and they're at a rendezvous waiting for us."

"A rendezvous where?" Hazel asked. Beckendorf looked expectantly at Percy as well, seemingly as confused as her now.

"I'm pretty sure I know the place." Percy said with a faint smile, as if he was remembering some fond memory from a long time ago. "Come on, we don't have much time to waste."

* * *

**XxXxX**

"Why are we at a police station?" Hazel asked, turning to look at Percy curiously for a moment.

She eyed the building with suspicion, wondering what led Percy to think Jason would be waiting for them there. It seemed unlikely, considering the fact that the police couldn't care less about the woes of the poor in this godforsaken city. Maybe there was some other secret entrance hidden around here somewhere. Percy seemed to have a fondness for secret lairs. Still, that seemed unlikely considering all the people milling about just outside. This was one of the busiest parts of the city.

"Because of the note." Percy answered simply. "If Jason wants us to find him, it'll be here. The note said 'where it all began' at the end. This is where it all began for us. This is where Jason and I met and first decided to work together."

"You met Jason at a police station?" Beckendorf wondered aloud, looking up at the double doors that led inside in confusion.

"That he did." Someone said from behind them in a familiar voice.

Hazel whirled around, met with the sight of blonde hair and lightning blue eyes. Jason Grace. He was dressed inconspicuously and would've looked completely unremarkable to someone who didn't know him. To most he was just a civilian, but to Hazel he was her leader and friend. Without thinking about subtlety, she threw herself at him, wrapping him in a tight hug. Jason humored her, patting her back comfortingly until she finally decided to let go.

After Hazel backed off, Jason moved to Percy, clasping his forearm in greeting. They shook hands, smiling at each other despite the unfortunate circumstances of their finally meeting each other again. To most, it would look like a much less emotional meeting than it was, but Hazel knew better. For them this was the equivalent of one of those movie scenes where the couple runs at each other in slow motion before jumping into each other's arms. As much as the two butted heads, it was moments like these where Hazel saw that they truly were good friends.

While they reunited, Beckendorf stood awkwardly off to the side, waiting for them to finish. Jason was the first to take notice of their fourth wheel, breaking off his handshake with Percy to turn to Beckendorf. He offered his hand to the larger man, slightly shocked by the fact that he was forced to look up at someone. Beckendorf smiled gratefully, returning Jason's handshake with fervor.

"You must be Jason." He said, his voice as low and smooth as ever.

"I am. You're Beckendorf? Hazel mentioned you in her message. Said you'd been working with Percy since he left." Jason said, though his voice did hold some suspicion, similar to when Percy had first introduced her to him.

The big guy nodded, but said nothing, instead glancing at Percy. He clearly wanted him to do the talking, which made sense considering he'd met Jason approximately three seconds ago. Percy had already established a rapport of trustworthiness with the soldier, and Beckendorf was looking to lean on it.

"He has." Percy said, crossing his arms defensively. "He's been a great asset, and a great friend. I promise he's a good guy."

"Good." Jason nodded, apparently finding Percy's endorsement to be enough. "We're running particularly short on good guys right about now."

Hazel and Percy gave each other pained glances. Based on the emotion in Jason's voice, they weren't going to like what came out of his mouth next.

"How many made it out?" Hazel asked, already dreading the answer.

"Four that I know of, counting myself."

"Four." Hazel spluttered. "As in _four_?"

Jason nodded grimly, seemingly unable to verbalize the sickening number again. To her left, she could see the pain dash it's way across Percy's face. Beckendorf looked sympathetic to their pain, but he couldn't understand. He didn't know all the people who they'd lost. Her and Percy? They had to live knowing they'd just walked through the grave of almost everyone they'd spent their lives with for so long now.

"Who." Percy asked forcefully, able to ask the question she couldn't.

"Myself, Annabeth, Piper, and Leo." Jason said, closing his eyes in frustration as he spoke. "They were with me when the attack happened. I was able to get them out of the nearest entrance. By the time I got back to help everyone else, it was too late. I fought as hard as I could, but it was pointless. Everyone was already gone."

"Could anyone else have escaped?" Hazel asked hopefully, not willing to face the complete massacre of her first real family.

"I suppose." Jason nodded, though he didn't seem to believe it himself. "But I doubt many did. And if they did, I doubt they'd be eager to return. It was a bloodbath. One I doubt they'd want to relive."

"How'd it even happen?"

"I'm not sure." Jason admitted. "But obviously someone had to have let them in. Once that happened, it was already over. Everything happened so fast. I was in a meeting with Piper, Leo, and Annabeth, and then all of a sudden, we heard gunshots. That's when the screaming started. I got them to the exit as quickly as I could, but we had to fight our way there. Then I went back for more, but it seemed like no matter how many of Luke's men I killed, more kept coming. By the time they were gone, everyone else was dead. I knew that with everyone gone, the base compromised, and you guys on the way, the only hope I had was to leave a message for you and bolt before they came back looking for survivors."

"You made the right choice." Percy said, placing a comforting hand on the solemn man's shoulder. "You did all we could. Now all that's left is to group up with who's left and finish the fight for those who can't."

Jason nodded, somewhat comforted by his words.

"The rest are hiding out. I figured it would attract less attention if I met you alone. I was hoping you'd have somewhere we could all stay. Somewhere we can bring this son of a bitch Luke down for good."

"I do." Percy said, smiling viciously. "On one condition."

"Which is?"

"When we get Luke, that son of a bitch is mine."

* * *

**AN: And there we have it, another chapter done. Yes, Luke really did that. Yes, most everyone is dead. Who was the traitor? Is the traitor one of the only ones left alive, or are they someone else entirely? What is Beckendorf building? What happened to Percy's mother? So many questions, and absolutely zero answers. At least until next time that is. Until then, please be sure as always to let me know how I did. I love the feedback. Until next time,**

**Peace**


	12. Chapter 11

**AN: Hey guys, I'm back. Here is another chapter for you as we draw nearer to the end. I think you're going to enjoy this one. Also, I just want to say to everyone, stay safe and healthy, and wash your hands. Corona virus is a spooky thing. Thank goodness I've always hated human interaction anyways, right? Anyways, here's chapter 11 of "All That's Left"**

* * *

**XxXxX**

Over the past few weeks, there had been a lingering sense of turmoil clinging to the air. For now, they were trapped in close quarters with one another, forced into a tightly knit group thanks to their lack of numbers. The only issue with that was, every one of them knew that a traitor had let Luke's men into the base, and that meant everyone knew the person next to them could be that very same traitor. The suspicion that knowledge brewed amongst them was palpable, and Hazel was afraid it would tear them apart faster than Luke and his little spy could ever hope to.

During the passing weeks, she did her best to convince herself there was no traitor among them, but it was futile. The mere possibility of one of the others being the one to have betrayed them had planted the seeds in everyone's minds, leaving them all to watch each other with poisonous scrutiny. Every action someone took, every word someone spoke, was constantly being dissected by the others as they all scrabbled for the truth. The animosity that was brewing between them all was far too dangerous to be ignored forever, but she was too afraid of what might happen if she mentioned it to be the one to bring it to the light.

In all this strife, Percy and Beckendorf should have been the rock that everyone could cling to. The only two people that everyone could place their trust in. They were absolved of guilt, as there was no way they could have been responsible for Luke's men getting into the base. Neither had privileges in the database to allow such a thing, nor the ability to even access the base themselves. Despite their proven innocence, they were garnering a different sort of suspicion. One causing a divide between the two of them and the rest.

As much as they'd provided shelter to them, Percy and Beckendorf had not welcomed them with open arms. While the others waged their silent war of glares and less than proper thoughts, the two of them continued their work on whatever their secret project was. Percy had promised to explain everything about it to Hazel when she first met Beckendorf, but that had been before the attack. Now he wasn't being so forthcoming, instead hiding whatever their secret project was from everyone, even her. Leo was most keen of them all to know what Beckendorf was working on through the night, but everyone was at least somewhat curious as to what the two were up to. Unfortunately, nobody was getting the answers they sought, causing distrust even for their host.

Hazel shook her head, trying to shake the unpleasant musings of her small groups worries from her brain to no avail. Luckily for her, the sound of distant shouting was able to cure her pain, pulling her completely from her muddled thoughts. She frowned, displeased with how commonplace arguments were now. Everyone was so irritable right now. When the hostile yells didn't stop after a decent while, she decided to see what the fuss was about, as this was clearly no regular fight. If she had to guess, she'd say it was all the turmoil of the past weeks finally rearing its ugly head in full form. By the time she got to the source of the shouting, she was certain she was correct. The simmering pot of resentment had boiled over, and now everything was out in the open.

"It has to be you!" Leo was shouting, jamming an accusatory finger towards Annabeth as Hazel entered.

The blonde, for her part, looked furious at the accusation. Her cheeks were aflame with rage, and her piercing grey eyes were burning coals searing into Leo's chest. Normally, a look like that from Annabeth Chase of all people would have been more than enough for the tiny mechanic to run away, tail between his legs, but apparently this was not a normal situation. Instead of backing down, Leo was standing his ground, looking back at Annabeth with all the anger it took to match hers.

"You think _I'm_ the traitor?" Annabeth hissed, pointing at herself incredulously.

Her mouth hung open as if her body couldn't even process the thought. Her eyebrows were raised in shock, and her eyes were glowing with hurt, betrayal, and righteous fury. Hazel wasn't sure what to think at this point. She had her suspicions about Annabeth as well, but they were hardly well founded enough to make an open accusation. Besides, based on Annabeth's reaction, she was either not the traitor and genuinely affronted by the accusation, or she was a tremendous actor.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do." Leo shouted, waving his hands emphatically. "You've been cold since I've met you, you're probably a sociopath. You never had any friends with us, so you have nothing to lose by letting Luke's men in. And ever since we got to this stupid factory, you've been shifty and cagey. You don't talk, you just sulk and hide away. You really don't think any of that is suspicious? You really can't see why I'd think that you're the traitor?"

"I've been shifty because I'm being watched like a zoo animal." Annabeth growled in protest, gritting her teeth together. "Anyone would get nervous if they were clearly being singled out as the number one suspect for something they _didn't do._"

"Sorry if I find it hard to believe that the girl whose best friend is a computer has a regard for human life." Leo retorted, not even sounding vaguely apologetic.

"Oh, I'll show you disregard for human life." Annabeth cried, grabbing Leo by the collar. The mechanic reached up to tug her hands away, but her grip was iron, holding fast against the wiry mechanics struggles.

"Enough." Piper interjected, entering the verbal battlefield for the first time. She wasn't laying on the charmspeak, at least not yet, but she placed her body between the two, forcing Leo and Annabeth to separate all the same. "Leo, Annabeth isn't a traitor just because she wouldn't play action figures with you. She's always been… less than amicable, but a few weeks ago that didn't matter. A few weeks ago, you trusted her implicitly. You only think who she's always been is suspicious now. Honestly, if there's anyone here that's a traitor, it's not Annabeth, it's you."

Leo took a stunned step backwards; clearly surprised Piper wasn't taking his side on this. Frankly, Hazel was too. Annabeth's cold demeanor had never really made her any friends, and Piper and Leo were usually joined at the hip like twins. It was remarkable to see Piper so vehemently against Leo and so staunchly in support of Annabeth. Not for the first time since meeting all these people, Hazel's entire world felt backwards.

"Me?" Leo screeched, his voice an octave higher than normal. "What idiotic logic would make you believe that?"

Piper narrowed her kaleidoscope eyes, stepping towards Leo with a confident air. Annabeth looked on confusedly, obviously as caught off guard by Piper's accusation as Hazel was. If it weren't about something so serious, Hazel would find amusement in Annabeth being so surprised by something. She usually had a plan for everything, but Piper turning on Leo clearly wasn't included in everything.

"Because." Piper insisted, staring intently at the shorter mechanic. "You're the only logical answer. I know I didn't do it, and Annabeth has too much damn pride to stoop as low as subterfuge. If she wanted us dead, she'd be upfront about it. She'd want us to know it was her that did it. But you, you're the one who started throwing the baseless accusations and to me, that's suspicious."

Hazel spared a glance at Annabeth, curious to gauge her reaction. Annabeth was nodding along in agreement with Piper, though whether it was because she truly believed in Piper's argument or because she was just glad she wasn't being accused this time, it was unclear.

"What about Jason, or Hazel, or you?" Leo argued. "I mean, you saying 'I know I didn't do it' is hardly a defense."

"Me?" Hazel interrupted defensively, cutting off Piper's own retort. "I wasn't even there to let anyone in. I was with Percy and Beckendorf when it happened."

"Well, technically, you could've rigged the doors to allow Luke's men in at a specific time and then left to make sure you weren't there, thus appearing innocent." Annabeth said helpfully. She didn't look accusing, in fact, she looked more like she was simply reading a fact from a book.

"Wow, thanks Annabeth." Hazel mumbled, shooting the girl a glare, though it was with little venom. "I didn't even know that was possible, and I doubt anyone but you and Leo would know how to do that."

"Fair enough. I didn't think it was you. I was just putting it out there." Annabeth said with a shrug, turning back to Leo.

"Okay, so maybe it wasn't Hazel." Leo said nervously, holding his hands in front of himself innocently. "But her innocence doesn't make me guilty either. It just as easily could've been Jason or Piper."

"Leo, we're your best friends. You really think one of us did this?" Piper said, sounding affronted. It was rather hypocritical in Hazel's eyes considering she'd just accused Leo moments ago, but she let it slide. Everyone was fighting to prove their innocence here, and when tempers ran hot, things like hypocrisy were bound to show.

"Not really. I told you, I think it was Annabeth." Leo insisted, jabbing an accusatory finger at the blonde once again. "But it could've been Jason. It could've been you. I don't know who to trust. The only thing I _do_ know is that I didn't let any of Luke's stupid goons in."

"Maybe. Maybe not." Hazel said, looking between the three of them slowly. "Maybe it was Annabeth. Maybe it _was _Piper or Jason. We just can't know."

"Well I didn't do it!" Piper shouted, crossing her arms. "And neither did Jason."

"How can you be so sure it wasn't Jason?" Annabeth pressed, looking at Piper accusingly now. "The only way you'd know for sure it wasn't him is if it was you."

"I know because there's no motive for him! For either of us!" Piper wailed, throwing her hands to the sky in disbelief.

"Oh, and I have motive?" Leo asked in disbelief.

Hazel let out a groan. She could tell that this was the beginning of the four of them arguing in circles, and she wanted to stop it before things took a turn for the worst. Luckily, when she opened her mouth to try and calm everyone, the job was done for her. From across the factory floor, the sound of a slamming door silenced them. In seconds, the rest of their little group was on them. Beckendorf, Jason, and Percy approached, an intimidating trio, all with frowning mouths and furrowed brows.

"What the hell is all this about?" Jason asked angrily, sweeping his gaze disappointed over the four of them.

All of them went to speak at once, trying to get the jump on the conversation. It was a brief flash of garbled words before Percy held up a hand to stop them. Reluctantly, all four held their tongues, waiting for his to speak.

"Don't toy with them, Jason." Percy said, turning a cold pair of sea green eyes towards all of them. His eyes softened slightly when they hovered over Hazel, but they were still more brutal than he'd ever seen them, a clear sign of his frustration. "We know damn well what this is about. I think the whole city heard you arguing. We're in a secret hideout for crying out loud. If you're going to argue, at least have the decency to do it quietly."

"I won't apologize for arguing. It's an argument we need to have." Annabeth shot back, crossing her arms. "If there's a traitor in our midst, we need to weed them out before it's too late."

Percy was silent for a minute, glancing between Jason and Beckendorf for a moment before looking back to them. He seemed to be calculating what he was going to say. Without a word, he sauntered his way to a nearby stool, patting his leg gently as he took a seat. He stared silently at his hands for a moment before finally looking up, a small smile on his face.

"Why should we?" He asked giving an exaggerated shrug.

"What do you mean 'Why?'" Leo said, clearly confused. "Why wouldn't we want to get rid of a spy who got everyone killed?"

Percy gave an unimpressed nod, tongue in cheek as he reached into his holster, drawing out his pistol. He played with it in his hands, tossing it back and forth as his eyes trailed over everyone in the room. The cold metal glittered in the light, not so subtly drawing everyone's wary eyes. Subconsciously, everyone in the room took a small step away from the man. They didn't really think he was going to shoot them, but their primal instincts didn't care what they thought. They all knew what he was capable of with a weapon in his hands, especially now. He was a predator through and through and their instincts knew it, damn what their minds thought.

"The way I see it." Percy began, finally letting the pistol grow calm in his hands. "We've been holed here in this for weeks and haven't seen or heard a trace of Luke's crew. Jason, Beck and I have been raiding and destroying every single base Luke has, one by one. Even now, only one remains. If he didn't already before, he definitely wants us dead now. So, trust me, if he knew we were here he'd have stormed this place already."

"Meaning?" Piper said carefully, eyes still trained on the gun held so casually in his grip.

"Meaning he doesn't know we're here. There are only two reasons he wouldn't know where we are. Either there is no traitor among us, and you're all fighting over nothing, or there is a traitor, but they're not giving him any information. Either way, it sounds pretty safe to me."

"That's naive." Annabeth argued. "Just because the potential traitor hasn't taken action _yet_, doesn't mean they _won't_. They could be biding their time, waiting for an opportunity. Luke only has one base left, and you and Jason have cost him a lot of men. All it would take is a heads up from the spy that we were coming, and we'd be done for even with you two."

"Sounds like someone has an entire plan for Luke worked out in their head already." Leo said, shooting an accusatory glare towards the blonde.

"No." she spat, staring daggers back at Leo. "I just understand what the smartest thing for Luke to do is. He'd lose less men that way. It's the wisest route. Recognizing that doesn't make me a traitor."

"Maybe not, but it certainly doesn't absolve you either." Piper interjected.

"Whether or not any one of us is guilty doesn't matter." Jason said, pinching the bridge of his nose and scrunching his eyes in frustration. "Because if one of us _is_ a traitor, and Luke is planning to spring a trap whenever we attack his last base, there's no time for him to get warned."

"What are you talking about?" Hazel asked, glancing between Jason, Percy, and Beckendorf curiously.

Beckendorf reached into his pocket, pulling out a small remote. He pressed a button, filling the room with an audible click. In between Hazel, Leo, Annabeth, and Piper, two panels began to recede, causing the ground to open like the gaping maw of a massive beast. The four of them stepped back, afraid of tumbling into the new hole in the floor. Slowly, from the darkness of the newfound gap, a table rose, covered from end to end with dozens of weapons and pieces of equipment, each looking more dangerous than the last.

"Grab what you need." Beckendorf said, gesturing to the weapons. No one moved, all still not quite understanding what was happening. Looks of puzzlement aplenty were thrown between all of them before Jason finally spoke.

"There's nowhere left for Luke to run." Jason elaborated, noticing their confusion. "Percy and I have destroyed his other bases; he's only got one left. There's no more moving the prisoners to keep them away from us. There's no more hiding for him. For us, that means there's no more waiting. Together, we're all going to end this forever. Luke Castellan is going to die, and he's going to die tonight."

Their jaws all fell open, surprised by his words. It was a bold idea. To charge into the lair of their enemy when he could be in league with any one of them. Despite the risk, Hazel had to respect the move. Doing it this way, the potential traitor would have no time to warn Luke without revealing themselves. Still, this sounded suspiciously like a suicide mission to her.

"We're all going. Now? We're going to storm a base completely unprepared with just seven people?" Hazel asked, turning to look at Percy expectantly.

"We are." Percy nodded. "Jason and I could handle it alone like we did the other bases, but I want everyone there. I don't care if one of you is a traitor, because we're all going to be going in together. One of you may stab the rest of us in the back, though I doubt it. Regardless, even if one of you betrays me tonight, I'll be okay. Because if I'm going to die, I'll be damn sure to take Luke Castellan with me."

* * *

**XxXxX**

It was fitting, in some odd way, that the one remaining base left undestroyed by Jason and Percy was the very same base Hazel and Percy had first discovered. Twice Hazel had been inside the cold foreboding walls of Luke's lair, and both times she'd suffered tremendous loss. On her first venture into the building she'd taken a gunshot to the heart, nearly dying, and leading to Percy's departure from her life. The second time she'd delved into Luke's home turf, she'd lost more friends in one moment than most people could ever dream of losing in a lifetime. In both of her ventures, her trip had ended in unmitigated disaster. Perhaps it was those past experiences there, perhaps it was the true gravity of the situation weighing down on her, or perhaps it was something else entirely. Whatever the cause, she couldn't shake the feeling that by entering Luke's base a third time, she was truly walking into the wolf's den.

Hazel looked around at everyone else on the roof of the building with her, all dressed in the same black garb. The dark cloth helped them blend into the night, aiding in their discretion. Far from her, Jason and Piper were whispering to each other softly and fervently, seemingly in a hushed debate. Leo and Annabeth were standing as far away from each other as was physical possible given the confines of the roof, each glaring steely daggers at the other from a distance. Beckendorf, unlike the others, was brightly illuminated, showered in fiery light as he melted his way through the roof using a modified blowtorch. His face was hidden behind a welder's mask while he worked, slowly cutting out a circular entrance into the base. From over his shoulder, Percy was watching him work, tapping his foot impatiently on the ground.

Part of her couldn't understand Percy's desire to get inside Luke's base so quickly. There was only of seven of them, and any one of them could be a traitor. This place had already proved itself beyond dangerous twice, and she wasn't looking to relieve those experiences especially with the added peril a potential betrayal brought. Despite her understandable trepidation, the other part of her was as eager to get inside as he was. Sure, she had her doubts about what lay ahead of them, but she was more ready to see this thing through. No matter what, everything would end today. It may see ominous, but there was a strange comfort in the finality of it all.

Suddenly, the light from Beckendorf's torch died down, replaced by the inky black of the night. The sudden shroud of darkness enveloped them all, drawing their attention to the newly created entry point with bated breath. Everyone gave a synchronous sigh of relief when there were no alarms or sounds of pounding bootsteps. Beckendorf rose from his squatted position, sliding his welder's mask off his head and returning to the rest of them with Percy in tow. The others gathered around them, looking to the pair expectantly. The two had quickly established themselves as the leaders of the operation.

"Alright." Beckendorf said, sliding his blow torch into a bag at his side. "It's open. You're all good to go."

Hazel frowned, tilting her head to the side in confusion. The way he said it made it seem like he wasn't coming with. She knew he wasn't much of a fighter, but neither was Leo or Piper, yet they were coming all the same. His proposed absence piqued her interest.

"You're not coming with?" Piper asked curiously, speaking on the issue before Hazel had the chance. Beckendorf shook his head in confirmation.

"Can't." he said tersely, sounding a bit disappointed. "I have something else to do."

"Something more important than this?" Annabeth pressed, raising an accusing eyebrow.

All eyes turned to the blacksmith, waiting for him to give an answer. Percy, Hazel noticed, was not sharing in the suspicion towards the large man. The two of them had something planned. If Hazel were a betting girl, she'd put everything she had towards Beckendorf's secret mission revolving on the mysterious project the two had been working on.

"Yes." Percy said, answering for Beckendorf before he could retort. "Beckendorf has something much more important to do, so it'll just be the six of us. Hazel, I need you to take care of the security systems. Find the control room and shut everything down. We don't want Luke pulling that magical wall trick again. Take Jason with you, it'll be dangerous, and you'll need his skill. Annabeth, Leo, Piper, the three of you wait here for five minutes for things to clear up, then go in and head for the lab. Get all the prisoners out as fast as you can and get as far away from here as you possibly can. With luck, we'll meet you all back at the factory tomorrow morning."

"What about you?" Hazel wondered aloud, not missing the fact that he'd omitted himself from his plan. The others nodded in agreement, wondering exactly what it is he'd be doing during all this.

"I'll be the distraction. I'll try to draw as much attention away from the labs as possible, it'll make things easier for you guys. Remember, speed is key here. The longer we're in there, the more likely it is we never come back out."

"A distraction? That seems…" Hazel trailed off, taken aback by the riskiness of his plan.

"Dangerous." Piper finished.

Instead of addressing their concerns, Percy turned his back on them, walking back to the hole Beckendorf had cut in the roof. He turned to face them, a dangerous, almost crazed smile on his face.

"Oh, I know." He said, eyes shining with some glint they couldn't discern. "I live for danger."

And with that he took one small step backwards, dropping into the building like a weighted shadow. As he disappeared from sight, it truly struck Hazel how little time there was to prepare herself for what was to come next. The time for action had arrived. The time to save her mother had arrived. This was it. This was everything. She wasn't sure exactly what would happen on the other side, and that was what scared her most. With one last breath, she stepped over the hole in the building. In a flash, she too dropped into the unknown.

* * *

**XxXxX**

Whatever Percy had done to garner the attention of Luke's guards, it had worked splendidly. As Hazel and Jason traversed the halls, they faced little resistance, easily dealt with by Jason before Hazel could even think to raise her weapon. Most of the men they encountered in the halls were running _away_ from them, presumably headed towards Percy, wherever he was.

As her and Jason continued their search for the security control room, the faint sound of gunfire crackling through the building rang incessantly, giving her a small bit of comfort. It may have seemed odd, being heartened by the noise of battle, but she only found herself worrying when the gunfire stopped. As long as Luke's men were still shooting, Percy and the others were still alive and fighting.

"Do you have any idea where this control room is?" Hazel breathed out, looking to Jason as they ran through the halls.

"Not really, this place is a labyrinth, you know that." He admonished. "Our best bet is to run the opposite direction of all Luke's men."

"The opposite?" Hazel questioned.

Before Jason could answer, they rounded a corner, coming face to face with another of Luke's men. He was running at them, just a few feet from a head on collision with Jason. The man noticed them quickly, but Jason reacted faster, not even slowing as he dropped himself into a baseball slide. He passed underneath the man, leaning back in his slide to deliver a bullet to the back of his head before the man could even turn to face them. His body crumpled to the ground, landing with a dull thud as blood splattered the walls.

"The opposite." Jason confirmed after popping back up from his slide. "They're all running to kill Percy. If he were somewhere particularly important in the building, the thugs would already be there guarding it."

"Which means wherever they're running away from _is_ important." Hazel finished. It wasn't the most foolproof deduction, but she had to admit it had merit. Besides, the shoddy idea beat just wandering the halls aimlessly and hoping they'd stumble across the control room.

After a while longer, Jason's theory proved to be successful. By running opposite the soldiers on their way to kill Percy, they'd found themselves rounding the corner into some dead-end hallway. In a split second, she took in the sight of a heavy metal door guarded by two soldiers at the very end of the hall. On the wall behind one of the soldiers, Hazel could just barely make out a keypad, probably to open the door. Realizing a quick assault wouldn't do, Hazel yanked Jason back around the corner and out of the soldiers' sight before they could notice either of them. Jason, with a confused look on his face made to protest, but she clamped a hand over his mouth, pressing a finger to her own lips to warn him to be quiet.

"The door is locked by some key-pad." She whispered, explaining quickly. She'd rounded the corner before Jason, and thus had more time to take in what he couldn't. His eyes widened slightly in understanding.

"Damn." Jason muttered, shaking his head in disappointment. "That complicates things, if only slightly."

"You think we can get one of the guards to cooperate?" she asked hopefully.

"Maybe. But it would take too long to convive them." Jason paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts.

"We can't just break the door down." Hazel complained. "That thing was solid steel."

Jason smiled at her, a devilish smirk that she wasn't acclimated to seeing on his face. It was a look much more accustomed to Percy's more wild personality. Rather than explaining, Jason just raised one hand, balled into a fist, smiling all the while. She realized what he had planned and had to fight the urge to facepalm for not thinking of it herself.

As she watched on, his hand shifted and changed, peeling itself back to reveal a metal cannon. The barrel glowed with a lightning blue light, humming with power. A smile of her own graced her face as quickly as the electricity gathered around Jason's not so humanoid fist. With a growl, Jason rounded the corner once again, raising his arm towards the door at the end of the hall, and let loose a massive ball of electricity.

Hazel covered her ears, having experienced the deafening noise of Jason's arm cannon once before. Even through her palms, the noise of the explosion was ear-wrenching from this close. The explosion lasted only a moment, but the ringing and disorientation that followed took longer to dispel. When the ringing in her ears finally died down and she'd regathered her bearings, Hazel rounded the corner once again, placing herself at Jason's side. Looking down towards where the soldiers and imposing metal door had once stood, she was met with a pleasant sight.

In place of the soldiers, there was only ash. In place of the door that had once barred their entry, there was a gaping hole, the edges seared and burnt. Slowly, the pair approached the hole in the wall. As they drew closer, the air became more charged, almost sparking. It felt like she was walking into a car battery, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

Ducking through the hole in the wall, careful to avoid the jagged and heated edges, she found herself in a dimly lit room. There was one body against the far wall, probably thrown there by the explosion. She eyed him for a second, making sure he wasn't alive before turning her attention to the rest of the room. When she finally did see exactly what they'd found, her heart leapt.

To her left, there was a wall lined with various screens, each one showing the display of a different security camera. Below the screens there was a large table decorated with various buttons, switches, and touch screens. Rushing over to the wall of screens, she sat in the chair placed there, resting her hands carefully on the control panel in front of her. She felt Jason join her at her side, but her eyes were trained to the various screens, searching each of them for signs of their allies.

"Can you find them?" Jason asked, eyes also scanning the dozens of screens.

"I'm not sure." Hazel admitted. "Here, I'll look for them, you disable the security."

Jason nodded, moving away from her and beginning to work the various switches and buttons on the massive control panel. While he worked, her eyes were scanning the screens. After a few more moments, she felt Jason return to her side again, just as she found what she was looking for.

"Jason, look." She said, pointing towards her discovery.

Jason followed her gaze, looking up to the image in question. It was the security camera from the lab she'd been to twice, only this time, the lab was fully occupied. Piper, Annabeth, and Leo were there, surrounded by a group of exhausted and pained people. She scanned the crowd, hoping for a glimpse of her mother, but found none. Still, the weight that lifted from her shoulders knowing they'd _finally _freed their loved ones was enormous.

"They've got them!" Jason said excitedly, lightning eyes dancing.

In his excitement Jason wrapped her up into a hug of celebration. Hazel almost went to reciprocate, but something on another screen caught her eye. Pushing Jason off, she ignored his confused look, instead leaning towards the screens frantically.

"Jason…" she muttered, looking over to him.

"What?" he asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

She nodded towards the screen in question, unable to speak.

"Is that?" he trailed off, unable to finish the question.

Once again, she nodded mutely, still too full of fear to speak. On the screen, in clear view, Percy Jackson was standing face to face with a sinister looking Luke Castellan, the both of them surrounded by bodies. Percy was drenched in blood, and if the way he was favoring his left arm was any indicator, at least some of it was his. He was injured, and about to face a mad man with nothing but desire to harm in his heart. Hazel's blood chilled in her veins like a frozen river in fear for her friend. For her brother.

"Where are they?" Jason said desperately.

"I… I don't know. And even if I did, we'd never get there in time." She said hopelessly, eyes unable to leave the screen.

"Well I'm not going to stand here and watch him fight that maniac alone. I'm going to find them." Jason growled, rising and leaving the room with haste. He didn't even look back to see if she was following.

She wasn't following. She didn't even turn to watch him go, still glued to the sight before her. Percy and Luke still hadn't moved, both still locked staring at each other with hatred in their eyes. Frantically, she pressed a few buttons on the control panel, pulling up the image onto all the screens in front of her. It went on like this for so long she began to wonder if the image was frozen. That's when Percy decided to speak.

"Luke." He hissed with malice. His voice was staticky and faint through the camera, but still audible enough that she could hear the pure hatred in his voice.

"Welcome to my lab once again, Percy Jackson." Luke said, raising his arms in greeting. His grin was as cold and poisonous as ever. "Or should I say, _welcome home._"

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**AN: There it is, Chapter 11. Sorry, I had to do it to you, another cliff hanger. I know it's annoying, but honestly, I think building the suspense is what this story is all about. The whole thing has always been about me keeping answers close to the vest, so I wanted to dangle them in front of you one more time before everything is revealed in the next chapter. That's right, you'll finally get your answers. Good for you, because I know you've been waiting, but also sad, because that means this story is nearing its end. Hopefully you all agree. Also, I know some of the characters may seem out of character at the beginning of this chapter, but hey, the stress of one of your friends potentially betraying you can change anyone. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and until next time,**

**Peace**


	13. Chapter 12

**AN: Hey all, another chapter for you, and in a timely fashion too! Also, though told from the perspective of Hazel up to this point, this story has always been about Percy. In this chapter, we finally see things from Percy's eyes. I wouldn't deny you seeing his reactions for the final full chapter. Anyways, here it is, the finale, (sort of) of "All That's Left"**

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**XxXxX**

"Luke." Percy hissed with malice, eyeing the blonde with nothing but hatred.

Percy knew he shouldn't be taking the time to trade words with the man, and honestly, he didn't want to. If he had his way, he'd put a bullet between Luke's eyes and be done with it, but he couldn't. There were still too many questions he needed answered, which unfortunately meant Luke had to live. At least for a few more minutes.

"Welcome to my lab once again, Percy Jackson." Luke said, raising his arms in greeting. His grin was as cold and poisonous as ever, but he seemed otherwise unfazed by the threat I Percy's tone. "Or should I say, _welcome home._"

"This isn't my damn home." Percy snarled. "You had my home attacked. You had everyone killed."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic." Luke said with a roll of his eyes. "I had _almost_ everyone killed. I know you're not here alone, Percy."

"So the traitor still lives then? They told you we were coming?" Percy questioned, his mind clouding with betrayal.

"Traitor?" Luke muttered, testing the phrase in his mouth a few times. He seemed thoroughly amused by the assumption. "There is no traitor, unless you can cite your own arrogance as a traitor. Every single one of your worthless friends is loyal to a fault. It was your technology that was your undoing. That information you spent so long encrypting was a trojan horse. I've been inside your friends' computer system for months. Yours for longer."

Percy raised his eyes in surprise. Part of him felt relieved that none of his friends had betrayed him. Relieved that he wasn't wrong to hold such unfettered trust for those around him. The other part of him felt like a complete idiot for never thinking that Luke would be devious enough to pull something like that off.

He growled, reaching to the holster at his hip. He drew his pistol, pointing it threateningly at Luke's skull, right between the cerulean eyes. Luke merely raised an eyebrow at this, daring Percy to pull the trigger before he got what he wanted.

"Enough of your goddamn riddles." Percy growled lowly, wondering what he meant about his own computer system. Tightening his already white-knuckle grip on the pistol, he flashed the weapon in Luke's face. "You answer my questions, and you answer them with truth, and maybe then I'll give you a quick death."

"What's the matter? You don't like riddles?" Luke pouted, looking the part of a young boy who'd just been told he couldn't go over to a friend's house.

Percy steamed where he stood. He didn't have time for this. Dropping the barrel of his gun, he delivered a shot right into the man's thigh. Percy took grim satisfaction in the spurt of blood that came with the bullet sinking into Luke's flesh, but his pleased grin faded as soon as he looked back up to Luke's face. Luke hadn't even flinched, and his mocking pout was still present. If it weren't for the blood slowly pooling at his feet, you'd have never known he'd been shot.

"Ouch." Luke teased, lowering his hands to his thigh. He jammed a hand into his leg, widening the hole with his fingers as he dug around for the bullet. After a few seconds, he drew it out, dropping the lead on the ground with an audible clink. Through the entire process, his eyes never left Percy's, making sure Percy knew _exactly _how little it was hurting him.

"What the hell are you?" Percy muttered, returning his pistols aim to Luke's skull. He may be able to take a bullet to the leg unflinchingly, but with any luck his brain would be significantly less bulletproof.

Luke tsk-tsk-ed at him like a disappointed teacher. "Percy, Percy, Percy…" he admonished with a shake of his head. "You're a smart boy. You know _exactly _what I am. And that's why you're so scared right now." The man nodded towards Percy's hand, which was noticeably shaking, much to Percy's chagrin.

"You're… Like me." Percy whispered, his mind filling with horror when he realized all his suspicions over the passing weeks had been true. The worry that had been gnawing at his mind ever since he'd discovered the chip in his head that made him so dangerous.

"Yes." Luke nodded, looking pleased with him. "I'm… Like you. I have the same chip in my head that you do. The one that makes us better than the rest. The one that makes us stronger. Faster. The chip that makes us feel no pain and have no weaknesses. I learn things like you do, I kill people like you do. We are brothers, Percy."

Luke had taken two steps towards him during his little speech, walking directly into the barrel of Percy's gun. Percy reaffirmed his grip on the pistol, but Luke didn't care, continuing his approach until the barrel was resting on his forehead. He leaned into it, begging for Percy's finger to tighten around the trigger and end him once and for all.

"The only difference between us Percy." Luke continued, closing his eyes as he spoke. "Is that I'm better."

Faster than even Percy could react, Luke brought up his arm, hitting Percy in the wrist and sending his aim flying towards the ceiling. Percy tried let off a shot at Luke, but it was much too late. His aim had already been redirected, sending the bullet flying to the cement above instead of to Luke's brain. Realizing what had happened, Percy tried to step away and give him room to take a second shot, but once again Luke proved his speed. He used his other hand to lash out, striking Percy's wrist with so much force that Percy was forced to drop his pistol.

Percy's eyes widened in disbelief. Ever since he'd started this entire campaign to bring Luke Castellan to justice, he'd never been disarmed. Luke had just thrown his weapon from his hands in a fraction of a second, and he'd made it look like it was child's play. Luke was faster than him, and stronger too, which couldn't have been possible unless he spoke the truth. Luke had a chip just like Percy.

Percy didn't have time to dwell too much on this revelation. Instead, he was forced to fight despite his lack of weaponry, jabbing a fist towards Luke's throat with intent to crush his windpipe. The blonde man barely evaded in time, moving his body just enough to see Percy's fist go whizzing by, throwing both of them off balance. Percy recovered quickly, but Luke was much faster, delivering a punishing strike to Percy's abdomen before he could raise his hands in defense. Pain exploded in his stomach, spreading like ripples on water through Percy's body and sending him reeling. Luke approached Percy's hunched over form, standing over him with a snide grin.

"You're weak." Luke taunted, looking down on Percy with distaste. He balled together his fists, raising them above his head in preparation of a vicious overhead blow. "You're not worth the teeny tiny parts of that damn chip in your head."

Percy didn't look up to meet his opponent's eyes, instead using his words as a brief moment of recovery. Before Luke could strike him again, Percy exploded from his hunched position with as much speed as he could muster, driving the top of his head directly into the underside of Luke's chin with a sickening crack.

If Luke were anyone else, his skull would've crumbled from the massive force behind Percy's attack, but he wasn't anyone else. Instead, the powerful blow only sent Luke stumbling back, laughing all the way. He grabbed his jaw and began to massage it slowly. Luke looked to Percy with a newfound respect in his hard eyes. He smiled with red teeth before spitting blood on the ground.

"God. I've been waiting so long to kill you." Luke whispered, with an almost lustful glint in his eyes. Percy narrowed his eyes, dropping into a fighter's stance.

Luke took a few steps towards Percy, and that's when the fighting truly began. The two began to exchange blows in fervor. Percy wasn't sure how he was keeping up with the speed and power of Luke's attacks, but somehow, he was managing it. They exchanged strike after strike in flurries too fast for the normal human eye to follow, forcing Percy to entirely on instinct and subconscious reactions. It was almost like artwork as the two fought each other. A beautifully violent dance that was sure to end with one of them dead, but artwork all the same.

It continued like this for a long while with neither able to gain the upper hand. Luke was stronger and faster than Percy, and probably even more skilled, but he was hampered by the bullet wound in his leg. Though he wasn't necessarily hurting from it, the loss of blood was slowly weakening even his superior body. It made for a near even playing field, meaning that even as the two beat each other bloody with punches and kicks that would crumble concrete, neither could own the other. They fought like this for what felt like hours, but in truth was mere minutes of tiring, agonizing, grueling combat.

The longer the interchange lasted, the more Percy's need for recovery grew. His breaths were ragged, and each muscle in his body felt filled with lead. He knew he wouldn't last much longer like this, so he got desperate. Percy started putting as much force as he possible could into each blow, not even trying to conserve energy. If he was going to lose any strength to fight soon anyways, he might as well take a shot at removing Luke from the fight entirely. It took a few more interchanges, but his strategy payed off. After a particularly violent knee managed to catch Luke in the stomach, the blonde-haired man was sent tumbling, falling to the ground with a huge woosh of air escaping from his lungs. Unfortunately, Percy was too tired to capitalize, and was instead left wheezing in place as Luke slowly regained his feet.

"Who made us?" Percy asked between breaths, looking to Luke with tired eyes. "Both of us should be dead right now. Why the hell would anyone turn us into this?"

Luke was on his feet now, bent over with hands on his knees as he took in huge gulps of air. One hand was clutching his stomach, the other pressing down on his bleeding leg. Before, Luke had been maintaining a charade of feeling no pain, but now he was clearly too tired to keep up the farce. He was hurting as much as Percy was.

"I had a dream." Luke said, without any of the bravado or maliciousness his voice had previously held. It seemed even Luke's love for showmanship had a limit. "A dream to destroy the world that is, and to rebuild it anew."

"I know that." Percy managed, still between breaths. "Typical bad guy wants to rule the world bull shit".

"It's not 'rule the world bullshit' Jackson." Luke interrupted defensively, rising to his full stature. "It's about _fixing_ the world. The world is full of weak people. Weak people who couldn't stand against a common street thug, let alone someone like me. I'm helping the human race. I'm going to purge the world of anyone unable to fight back, and humanity will be better for it because only the strong will live on."

"That's insanity." Percy cried. "You mean to play god? To decide who lives and who dies?"

"I do." Luke said it with such conviction, Percy could see for certain that he believed in his mission with every fiber of his being. In other words, he was a sadistic and cruel madman to his very core.

"Either way, that's what all your experimentation on innocent people was for. To make a super army so you can make your fucked up dream a reality. I want to know why we were made. Why you and I can fight like this and still live."

Luke looked pained for a moment, which shouldn't come as a surprise considering the blood, bruises, and bullet wound he'd already suffered, yet it was. The pain didn't seem to be physical. It was almost like recalling the memory of their creation hurt, even for him.

"We were the first experiments." Luke said carefully, looking Percy square in the eye. "I was grown in a lab, a baby created entirely by science. When I was just a year old, our creator gave me my chip, and raised me to be a warrior. A soldier capable of seeing his mission through."

"And me?" Percy asked, slowly regaining his breath now.

"Our creator soon realized that if he wanted an army of super soldiers like us, he couldn't afford to raise each soldier from when they were babies. You were grown in a tube, like me, but removed when you were eighteen. You matured from just a few cells to eighteen years in only a few weeks. You were a complete blank slate, devoid of any memories, personality, or life experience."

"That's…" Percy muttered disbelievingly. "Impossible."

That couldn't be true, could it? He remembered his life so vividly. He remembered getting his face smashed into his blue cake at his sixth birthday party. He remembered going to the beach with Sally Jackson and playing in the waves whenever he felt sad. He remembered every crush he had in school, every test he failed, every moment of every day of his life. Luke meant to tell him none of that never happened? That he was grown in a tube? That he wasn't truly human?

"Hardly." Luke said with a snort. "Our creator hand crafted your memories, your personality, everything. He based your memories, your personality, your looks, everything, off of his own family that he'd lost a few decades ago. He made you out of nothing. He turned you into a relic of the past. His past. More than that though, he made you human."

"That… It... It can't be true." Percy cried, but he was already starting to fear he was wrong.

It made sense. Everything Luke said made sense. It all added up. Slowly the puzzle began to piece together in his head. It explained everything. Why he had no files of his existence anywhere. Why the only trace of Percy's mother said she'd been dead for years, just like his creator's supposedly long dead wife. It explained why he could recall every memory in his entire life. It was because they weren't memories at all. They were just blocks of data in the chip in his head. Everything he was, was nothing. He was no one.

"It is all true, I assure you." Luke asserted. He almost looked sorry for him. Almost. Percy doubted the man was capable of feeling true remorse for anyone.

"So I'm just a lab rat then? That's all I ever was?" Percy whispered, looking Luke in his cold blue eyes.

"Hardly." Luke spat. "Our creator, he made us both, but we are not the same. We are not equal. He raised me for years, but I was never anything more than a weapon to him. A means to an end. He made your entire personality on a fucking computer, and he treated you more human than he ever treated me."

"He did all this, yet I've never met him. I don't even remember him. Where is he now? I need to speak with the man who rai-… Who _made_ me."

"That can be arranged." Luke said with a scoff. "He's dead, and pretty soon, you will be too. Maybe you'll meet in the afterlife."

Percy's eyes widened, and he began to take a few hesitant steps away from Luke. His mind was reeling, overloaded with all this new information. If what Luke was saying was true, the only man who could give him all the answers he now sought was dead, his answers with him. Still, even in his stupor, Percy could see the rage building behind Luke's eyes as he recounted the tale. There was no doubt in his mind Luke would be on the attack again soon. He needed to be ready.

"His name was Poseidon." Luke explained slowly. Painfully. "His wife, Sally Jackson, and his son, Percy, were killed by some mugger years and years and years ago. Their deaths nearly drove him mad. That was until their deaths motivated him, gave him a new purpose. He resolved to create an unstoppable army, one that could give him complete control over the globe. With that power, he'd wipe the earth of scum and make it so no family would ever suffer like his did. So, he set to work to engineer this army. I was his first attempt at creating the super soldiers he would need. When he realized the technology, he used to create me wasn't good enough, he tried again. He made you, modeled after his son, and when you came out of that tube, his dream vanished. He never tried to make an army again. He had his son back. He didn't need his mission anymore. He didn't need me."

Percy could see the pure hurt and hatred in Luke's eyes. It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened next in this tragic story.

"You killed him, didn't you?" Percy asked, though he already knew the answer. He was just trying to keep Luke talking for as long as he could.

"You're damn right I did." Luke snarled, taking a few steps towards the retreating Percy. Percy's eyes flickered away for a moment, spotting his gun on the floor. With nearly imperceptible steps he began to inch toward it. He needed that gun. He knew he wouldn't win if they had to fight again.

"He didn't even fight back, you know. He just looked at me, disappointed, as if he had the right to judge me." Luke said stonily. His face was red with rage now, and a vein throbbed in his forehead. "He didn't even try to save himself, and seeing his weakness is what gave me my mission. So, I took his research in order to start work on my own army. An army that I could use to wipe his poisonous weakness from the earth. You tried to stop me from killing him of course, but you were only months old at the time. You didn't stand a chance against me. I should've killed you then, but I still held some twisted love for you as my brother. So, I gave you your life, but I took your memory of us so you'd never come after me. Then, I threw you to the streets like a dog, forgotten like I had been. Clearly, sparing you was a mistake."

Percy could barely focus on his words anymore. He was almost to the gun. Just a few more steps. He just had to keep Luke ranting for a few more seconds. Just a few moments and he could end this.

"Why tell me all of this?" Percy asked carefully, treading even closer still to the gun on the floor.

"Because you took my father from me. I loved him and you took him from me. I want you to know that I took him from you just the same. I want you to know so that when I kill you, you'll know that I was the stronger son. I want you to know that when you're dead, I'll be using our father's dream to destroy the world and rebuild it the right way. In my own image."

Percy had no memories of this so-called Poseidon, but by Luke's description, he was a broken man looking to fill the hole his family had left behind. There was no shame in that. Yet Luke had only felt scorned by Poseidon's desperate scrabbling for some semblance of the family he'd lost, and now he was turning the man's dream for peace into a dream for destruction. Percy had no recollection of his supposed 'father', yet he was disgusted by the way Luke was spitting on his memory.

"How could you want this? You say you loved him? He wanted peace!" Percy whispered in horror.

"He did." Luke affirmed. "But he was wrong to want peace. I won't let that fools dream stop me from doing what must be done. I will kill you here and now, and then I will finish what I started. I will kill everyone who doesn't have what it takes to survive. They say, 'the meek will inherit the Earth'. You know what I say to that?" Luke spat on the ground disdainfully. "Fuck that."

Luke charged him, moving with a speed that caught Percy off guard. He lowered his shoulder like a he was executing a football tackle, driving Percy into the cement wall behind him. Percy felt a couple of his ribs crack with the impact, along with the wall he crashed into. Blood erupted from his mouth in a fountain, dropping to the ground in ribbons of scarlet. He brought his fist down on Luke's back, ignoring the pain in his chest, but his punches had no effect.

Luke backed off of Percy, and as soon as his body wasn't holding Percy up, he crumpled. Luke stood a few paces away, looking down on Percy like he was some lesser being. The maniac dug around near his waste before returning with a small knife, the cold blade shining under the fluorescent lights. He tossed it from hand to hand as he approached, whistling a jaunty tune as he prepared to carve Percy to bits.

Slowly, and with pain exploding in every orifice of his body, Percy reached a hand up to the watch on his wrist. Luke halting in his approach, watched him do it, almost intrigued by what Percy hoped to accomplish. After everything Percy had just heard, he knew exactly what pressing this button would do to him. He knew that if he pressed the button, Beckendorf would use the device he'd created, and it would break them both. He also knew that he had no other choice if he wanted to kill Luke. He knew the fate he'd brought upon himself, but it would be worth it to rid the world of Luke Castellan. With the last of his strength, Percy pressed a button on his watch, smiling a smile of complete content. The signal to Beckendorf was sent. It would only be moments now…

"That was your trick?" Luke guffawed after a moment. "Your master plan to kill me was to change the time on your wa-"

He didn't finish his sentence, because a high-pitched wailing from all directions cut him off. Luke tried to block off the ear-rupturing noise, covering his ears as best he could, but it did nothing to save him. Blood began to leak out of his ears, and he fell to the ground writhing in pain. Percy felt a smug smile grace his face, but it only lasted for a moment before the pain hit him too.

It started in his ears, a shrill whining like a mosquito was flying too close. It picked up in intensity, becoming unbearable in seconds. He felt blood flowing from his own ears, and that's when the true suffering started. His vision completely faded, like his own mind was so overwhelmed processing the pain that it couldn't even work on seeing. All there was, was pain. Like someone had taken each individual molecule he had and was slowly ripping them apart and replacing them with fire and poison liquid terror and every other affliction that made kids cry in the night. He heard a blood curdling scream, though he had no idea if it was his or Luke's. His world had no him or Luke. No perception. He had nothing but pain. Then, as quickly as it started, it stopped.

The pain faded faster than it had set on, being replaced with a dull ache and a feeling of intense exhaustion. Every muscle was cramped, and Percy felt like his brain was liquid sludge. Rolling over, he forced himself to his feet, a task he found more difficult than it had ever been. Despite everything, he smiled. Beckendorf's machine had worked to perfection. He only had a few moments now, but he would use them as best he could.

"What was that?" Luke whispered, looking up to Percy with horror in his eyes. He was covered in his own blood and tears and looked as though he'd seen a thousand ghosts. Percy was sure he looked almost exactly the same as his counterpart.

"To be honest, I'm not sure what Beckendorf calls it, but it sure hurt like a bitch, didn't it? He mentioned it would hurt, but I think he undersold it." Percy muttered, shuffling towards Luke as quickly as his destroyed body would let him. "All I know is, it's designed to produce a sonic wave that will destroy the chips in our heads. It'll make us human again."

The shock on Luke's face was delectable, and if Percy himself wasn't in such terrible shape, he might've stopped to enjoy it. Luke seemed so crippled by the idea of being normal, he almost felt bad. Almost.

"Normal? You can't… You… You ruined me!" Luke shouted; his voice clouded with fury. "I'll kill you. And then I'll revive you just so I can kill you again."

Percy laughed, a cold and empty laugh that sounded dead even on his own ears. Numbly, he covered the remaining distance between him and Luke. A few steps that were longer than a country mile. He reached down to the ground, trying to pick up the knife that Luke had dropped in his pain induced panic. His fingers fumbled around the handle for a bit before he was final able to grab it. With a groan, Percy dropped to his knees at Luke's side, pressing the knife to Luke's throat.

"Maybe." Percy muttered, barely able to speak. His brain was fading, and fast. He was losing himself. "But for some reason, I doubt you'll get the chance."

With one fluid motion, Percy swept the blade across Luke's neck. It opened a line of crimson across his throat, gushing out faster than it could ever be stopped. Luke gurgled where he lay, choking on his own lifeblood as it seeped out of him. Percy would've taken time to relish in the man's demise, but that luxury was denied to him. With one last look at the dying man, Percy slipped into unconsciousness.

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**AN: And there you have it. All the reveals you could ever want. Percy and Luke truly were brothers, created in a lab to fill the hole left in the heart of Poseidon by the death of Sally Jackson and the real Percy Jackson. Luke's entire mission was to destroy the world using Poseidon's own technology, all to spite the man who would never love him as much as he loved Percy. I'm telling you right now, if you predicted that, PM me you cashapp or something so I can slide you twenty bucks. But seriously, I really hope you enjoyed the way I capped this off. Percy learned that he's not even human. He's just a handcrafted grouping of memories and traits made by a grieving man. Tragic, I know. Also, Percy, who's been unstoppable this entire story, finally met an enemy he couldn't beat by regular means. Luke had the same chip as him, but for way longer, making him unbeatable except through Beckendorf's machine. Don't be fooled though, the day is saved and Luke is dead, but there **_**will **_**be consequences, as I assure you the epilogue will show. Until then,**

**Peace**


	14. Epilogue

**AN:**

**Here it is, the conclusion to my second story. I know it may seem odd how this entire thing wraps up, but I'm happy with it. This story was extremely experimental for me, which I think took away a little bit from its popularity and its quality, but that's okay. Especially considering this story has not garnered the response of my first, I feel no pressure to give this story an orthodox ending, which actually makes me glad. I like how things turn out, even if I feel like I'm going to develop a reputation for ending my stories a certain way… Anyways, here it is… The epilogue of, "All That's Left"**

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**XxXxX**

He woke up in a bed much too large for him, surrounded by people he didn't know. They were all looking at him expectantly, as if he was supposed to deliver them some message of great importance. He couldn't help but frown. He had no idea what they wanted him to say. Hell, he had no idea what _he_ wanted to say.

"Percy." One of them said hesitantly, leaning towards him with a look of worry on her face.

Was that his name? He didn't remember ever having a name. He rather liked the name. Especially the way it rolled off the tongue of the pretty blonde with grey eyes. After a few moments of staring, he realized he'd forgotten to respond. He blushed, averting his gaze from the beautiful girl who was staring at him with those grey doe eyes.

"Uh… Yes?" Percy said awkwardly, not wanting to disappoint the girl.

"You're Percy." A blonde man informed tersely. His face was stoic, but his eyes looked hurt. Percy wondered what haunted the man.

"Am I?" Percy asked aloud before muttering the name to himself a few times. Yup, he really liked how it sounded. "Cool, I like it."

"Do you… Remember anything?" A small Latino boy asked weakly, though his eyes appeared to hold less than a glimmer of hope.

"Of course I remember things." Percy protested hotly. But then he thought about it for a moment. With horror, he realized he _didn't_ remember things. In fact, he didn't remember _anything._ "Okay, maybe I don't remember anything." Percy whispered weakly, almost too soft to hear.

He heard a sob, and it drew his attention. A gorgeous girl, with what looked to be Cherokee complexion, had burst into tears at his proclamation. She seemed too sad to stay, so the stoic blonde grabbed her by the arm and escorted her out, looking back only to shoot Percy one last glance of pity. Percy frowned. He didn't remember anything about anything, but he knew he didn't like being pitied.

"Percy, we just need you to think really hard for us okay." The blonde said, placing a comforting hand on his cheek as a tear trickled down hers. Her hands were smooth and soft, and smelled like lemons.

"I'm sorry." Percy apologized as sincerely as he could. "But I really don't remember anything. Any of you."

The blonde bit her lip, turning to look to a massive African American man behind her. Her curls bounced as she whipped around, nearly striking Percy in the face. He liked those curls.

"Annabeth." The large man said. "He's not going to remember anything. I'm sorry, but after everything Hazel told us she saw. Everything she heard. There's just no way he'll get any of that back. He has to start over."

Percy probably would've been destroyed by that news, but honestly, what did he have to be upset about? He didn't even remember the memories he should be missing right now. Besides, if the sad faces around him were anything to go by, these people were his friends, even if he didn't remember them. They were the ones hurting, not him.

"It's alright." Percy said cheerfully, trying to comfort the now crying blonde. "I don't remember you guys, but you all seem alright."

"I…" the blonde began, before choking back a sob. "Thank you, Percy."

Percy nodded, smiling reassuringly at the girl. She grabbed his hand and gave it a few pats before she got up off his bedside. She sent him one last tear-filled smile before leaving the room, the small latino boy hot on her trail. He tried to reach a hand out to them, but they didn't see it. He frowned again. He didn't know them, but he wanted them to stay. He had no idea who he was, and these people were the clues. He didn't want to be alone.

"Give them time." The massive man said, with that amusingly deep voice of his. "They'll come around. They all love you; they're just hurt because you don't love them anymore."

"I didn't mean to not remember them." Percy protested, crossing his arms like a child.

"Actually." the man said with a chuckle. "I think you kind of did."

"Why would I do that?" Percy asked incredulously, looking at the man in utter confusion.

"I think that's for someone else to explain." The man said, only confusing Percy further.

Before Percy could question him anymore, the big man left, closing the door softly behind him. It was only after the door was shut that Percy looked around the room in boredom. To his surprise, he wasn't alone. Slumped in a chair in the far corner of the room, sunken in so deep he almost couldn't see her, was a dainty girl with coffee skin and caramel hair. Her head was in her hands, and she seemed to be ignoring him completely. Percy cleared his throat to get her attention, but she didn't seem to hear him.

"Uhm, excuse me." Percy said gently.

The girl looked up at him, and Percy could instantly tell she'd been crying. Even now, hot tears streamed down her face. Still, when he met her golden eyes (Which were certainly a surprise) the girl's face broke out into a small smile. Percy couldn't help but note that just like the other two girls that had been in his room, this girl was remarkably pretty. He was impressed with himself. He was three for three on good looking girls crying over his bedside.

"Hey Percy." The girl said, her voice sounding wet on his ears.

"Who're you."

"My name's Hazel Levesque." She said quietly. "I'm your sis- I'm your best friend. Or at least, I was." She finished sadly, casting her eyes to the ground.

Percy didn't know why but seeing her sad hurt him to his very core. In fact, seeing all these people sad hurt him deep in his bones. He didn't know them, but his body did. His body ached to protect them. To make them happy. Maybe she could help him understand why.

"I'm sorry, but I don't remember you either. Though I'm sure you were a wonderful sister." She looked up at that, and he smiled gently at her. "That's what you were going to say, right? That you were my sister? Or at least like a sister to me?"

She bit her lip as fresh tears burst forth, but she nodded her affirmation all the same.

"Well, I don't know why I don't remember you, but I wish I did. I wish I remembered all of you. I can't explain it, but I think I care about each of you, even now. My heart hurts for you. My head hurts for you. I don't remember what I'm missing, but you all do, and even though we're strangers, your pain… Pains me…" Percy finished lamely, unsure how to put his feelings into words. He didn't know how to talk to this girl. At least he didn't think so.

"It's alright." The girl said, giving a small chuckle as she wiped her tears. "You don't remember us because you did something _incredibly _stupid. You knew you'd lose your memories, but you did it anyways."

"Why?" he asked confusedly. "If I loved you all as much as you guys clearly love me why would I give that up?"

"Because." She whispered. "That's just who you are. You loved each of us. All in different ways, sure, but you loved us. A man, a terrible twisted man, was threatening all of us. Us and our families. To stop him, you did this to yourself, but you also kept him from killing you. From killing us. From using our families, my mother, like lab rats."

"I did all that?" he said, in complete wonder at his forgotten self.

"You did." Hazel said with a wistful smile.

Percy was silent for a moment, thinking on all that he'd learned. Hazel was gracious about his silence. She didn't press him. Didn't implore him to remember. She just sat in comfortable silence with him, like she'd done it a thousand times before. Perhaps maybe she had. As he thought, he tapped his hand rhythmically on his leg, unaware of the smile that little action received.

"Hazel." He said after a while.

"Hmm." She hummed, glancing to him with a raised eyebrow. Green and gold eyes met for the millionth time for Hazel, and for only the second time for Percy.

"I don't know any of those people. I don't know you. Hell, I don't even know myself. But if you're willing to help me know them again. Know you again… I think I'd like to."

"I'd love to help." She said sweetly. "Now you should probably get some rest."

She rose from her seat and made her way to the door. Just before she closed the door behind her, Percy called after her.

"Hazel?"

"Yes, Percy."

"I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure I've always wanted a sister."

Hazel Levesque smiled, and so too did Percy Jackson.

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**AN: Alright, do it, you can officially declare me CEO of bittersweet endings. Now let me elaborate a bit. Percy wanted to kill Luke, but Luke was too strong, so he told Beckendorf to activate his machine, one that would destroy any chips like Percy and Luke's. The only problem was, Percy's chip contained Percy's memories. The chip had been serving as a memory card for Percy essentially, and when it was destroyed, so ro was our Percy. (He still remembered to kill Luke because the damage had not yet been completely done. His unconscious coincided with the chips complete destruction) anyways, I know that result seems tragic, but I think there's joy in what happened to Percy. With the chip gone, Percy is now free to become whoever he truly wishes to be. Before that, he was always just going to be the result of programing. A ghost of the dead son of a grieving father. Now Percy can become his own person, so to speak. Plus, all his friends will be there for him to fall in love with all over again. Hopefully you can see the meaning/intent in that. Now, about you all. I must say with all the love in my heart, **_**thank you for reading my work,**_ **it truly fills me with joy to know you like my work. I love writing. I'm going to continue writing for as long as that remains true. There will be more stories from me, and with any luck, more reviews from my wonderful readers. So, until we meet again, **

**Peace**


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